MY  DADY  AND 
AbbAN  DARKE 


CHARLES 
DONNEL 
GIBSON 


MY  LADY 
AND  ALLAN  DARKE 


MY  LADY 


AND  ALLAN  DARKE 


BY 

CHARLES   DONNEL   GIBSON 


STefo  If  orfc 
THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

LONDON:   MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  LTD. 
1899 

All  rights  reserved 


COPYRIGHT,  1899, 
BY  CHARLES  DONNEL  GIBSON. 


XorinooB 
J.  8.  Gushing  ft  Co.  —  Berwick  *  Smith 
Norwood  Meet.  U.S.A. 


8E0  tije  iPlemorg  of 

THE  WISEST,  KINDEST,   NOBLEST  MAN 
I   HAVE  EVER  KNOWN 

MY  FATHER 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I 

FACE 

THE  LAST  OF  THE  OLD  LIFE 

CHAPTER  II 
A  LAND  OF  MADMEN H 

CHAPTER  III 
THE  MASTER,  MY  LADY,  AND  ME     .        .        .  36 

CHAPTER  IV 
A  FIRST  ATTEMPT  — AND  FAILURE    .  -54 

CHAPTER  V 
OUT  OF  THE  DEEP 6S 

CHAPTER  VI 
COALS  OF  FIRE 92 

CHAPTER  VII 

TANTALUS Io6 

CHAPTER  VIII 
JUGGERNAUT I27 

CHAPTER  IX 

RHADAMANTHUS I45 

vii 


viii  Contents 

CHAPTER  X 

PAGE 

OUT  OF  SORROW  COMETH  JOY 172 

CHAPTER  XI 
A  DREAM    .       . 183 

CHAPTER  XII 
AN  AWAKENING 204 

CHAPTER  XIII 
AN  AUTOBIOGRAPHY 217 

CHAPTER  XIV 
A  DARK  DEED 231 

CHAPTER  XV 
THE  TALE  OF  A  HUNTING 255 

CHAPTER  XVI 
ORDEAL  BY  FIRE 284 

CHAPTER  XVII 
IN  THE  MASTER'S  ROOM 310 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  RESURRECTION  OF  THE  DEAD    ....    326 

CHAPTER  XIX 
EVEN  AS  KORAH 341 

CHAPTER  XX 
THE  HAVEN  WHERE  I  WOULD  BE       ....    359 


MY  LADY  AND  ALLAN   DARKE 


THE    LAST   OF   THE    OLD    LIFE 

THERE  comes  a  time  when  imposition  becomes 
unbearable,  even  when  the  tormentor  is  a  young 
and  pretty  girl,  and  one's  cousin  into  the  bargain  ; 
which  latter  fact  justifies  more  summary  and  ef- 
fective punishment  than  may  be  inflicted  in  other 
cases. 

Therefore,  when  my  cousin,  Dorothy  Farns- 
worth,  crowned  a  prolonged  course  of  petty  an- 
noyances by  thrusting  a  morsel  of  an  old  last 
year's  chestnut  bur  down  my  back,  so  that  it 
tormented  me  grievously,  I  turned  on  her  and 
chased  her  to  the  orchard,  where  her  breath  failed 
from  running  and  laughter  together,  and  she  was 
fain  to  let  me  catch  her.  She  looked  so  winsome, 
all  flushed  and  panting  from  the  run,  that  if  she 
had  been  any  other  than  my  cousin,  I  could  not 
have  resisted  the  temptation  to  kiss  her.  But  my 
cousinship  had  made  it  impossible  to  punish  her  in 


2  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

that  way,  —  I  wonder  whether  girls  do  ever  regard 
such  treatment  as  punishment !  —  having  done  it 
so  often  in  the  earlier  stages  of  our  acquaintance ; 
so  I  contented  myself  with  gently  boxing  her 
pretty  ears,  and  then  drew  her  down  beside  me 
on  the  fallen  trunk  of  a  great  apple  tree. 

I  put  an  arm  around  her  waist  (merely  for  her 
support),  and  the  witch  rewarded  me  by  slapping 
my  back,  so  that  I  could  have  cried  aloud  but 
for  shame's  sake.  She  knew  exactly  where  the 
remains  of  that  bur  ought  to  be  —  and  they  were 
where  she  had  expected.  I  clinched  my  teeth 
and  took  a  tighter  grip  of  her,  in  necessary  self- 
protection.  So  held,  she  could  not  strike  again, 
at  least,  not  in  the  same  place. 

"  It  wasn't  there,  Dolly,"  I  said,  lying  bravely. 

The  rogue  laughed,  and  tried  to  wriggle  out  of 
my  grasp. 

"  Are  you  quite  sure  of  that  ? "  she  retorted, 
with  a  malicious  twinkle  in  her  eye.  "I  thought 
I  felt  it  beneath  my  hand,  but  no  doubt  you  know 
better  than  I.  At  least  I'll  be  sure  to  find  it  next 
time." 

"  There  is  not  going  to  be  any  next  time,"  I 
returned,  with  great  inward  fear  lest  I  should 
find  the  assertion  untrue.  "  I  am  going  to  keep 
you  here  as  a  sort  of  hostage  for  your  own  good 


The  Last  of  the  Old  Life  3 

behavior,  until  you  promise  to  stop  playing  me 
such  tricks." 

It  was  a  very  wrong  way  to  go  about  getting 
such  a  promise,  as  I  ought  to  have  known.  I 
have  learned  better  since  then. 

"  I  won't  promise  anything  under  compulsion," 
she  pouted. 

"  You  certainly  won't  promise  any  other  way," 
I  retorted.  "  You  will  have  to  stay  here  with  me 
until  you  do  it." 

"Never!" 

"  Never  —  what  ?  Never  stay  ?  You  cannot 
help  yourself." 

"  Never  promise." 

"  I  am  sorry,"  I  returned,  trying  to  make  my 
tone  a  regretful  one.  "  But  I  will  have  that 
promise,  if  we  have  to  sit  here  till  sunset  for 
it."  It  was  then  scarcely  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning. 

"  I  am  sure  your  arm  will  grow  tired,"  she  in- 
sinuated. 

"  So  will  you." 

"  Yes,  of  your  company,"  she  retorted.  "  Still, 
I  have  endured  so  much  of  it  of  late  that  a  little 
more  will  not  be  any  great  matter.  One  becomes 
benumbed  after  a  certain  amount  of  suffering." 

"  That's  consoling  and  hopeful  for  both  of  us," 


4  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

I  said.  "  I  am  glad  you  will  not  be  unnecessarily 
uncomfortable." 

A  pause ;  then  — 

"  Let  me  go  !  " 

"  Couldn't  think  of  such  a  thing." 

"  What  will  mother  say  ?  " 

"Say  I  did  quite  right  to  protect  myself." 

"  She  won't.     I'll  tell  her  !  " 

"So  will  I." 

"  She  won't  believe  you." 

"  Oh,  yes,  she  will,  when  you  corroborate  my 
story,"  I  replied  very  comfortably,  and  thought  I 
had  her  there. 

"  I  won't.     I'll  contradict  anything  you  say  !  " 

"Very  well.  Then  I'll  tell  her  that  I  have 
been  misbehaving  outrageously,  and  that  you  were 
trying  to  reform  me.  She  will  know  how  much 
of  that  to  believe :  I  remember  she  has  been  ac- 
quainted with  you  for  several  years." 

"  But  that  would  be  true ;  I  couldn't  deny 
that,"  said  Dorothy,  casting  her  eyes  down  de- 
murely. Unfortunately  for  her,  they  would  not 
stay  down,  and  when  she  looked  up  at  me  we  both 
burst  out  laughing. 

"Come,  Dolly,"  I  said,  after  we  had  quieted 
down.  "  Be  a  good  girl  —  for  once ;  it  would  be 
such  a  thrilling  experience  for  you  !  I'm  really  in 


The  Last  of  the  Old  Life  5 

earnest.  Pick  out  some  other  fellow  for  those 
little  attentions  of  yours ;  there's  plenty  of  better 
game  than  I  afoot  in  this  neighborhood." 

"  Most  true,  indeed ;  but  none  so  convenient," 
she  laughed.  "  Really,  Allan,  you  have  become 
as  much  a  necessity  to  me  as  my  pin-cushion." 

A  pin-cushion  probably  would  not  object  to  burs, 
but  I  did.  Hence  I  resented  the  comparison. 

"  That  is  absurd,  Dolly.  What  did  you  do  be- 
fore I  came  ?  I  never  laid  eyes  on  you  until  six 
weeks  ago." 

"  All  the  worse  for  your  eyes.  Did  you  ever 
see  anything  nicer  to  look  at  ? " 

I  never  had,  if  the  truth  must  be  told ;  but  I 
had  no  intention  of  owning  the  fact  to  her.  The 
question  was  too  impudent;  I  only  laughed  and 
refused  to  answer. 

"  Whose  fault  was  it  that  you  never  saw  me 
before  ? "  she  went  on  reproachfully. 

"  Mine,  of  course.     But  I  had  no  idea  what  I 
was  missing,  you  know,  —  especially  in  the  way  of 
burs  and  other  such  little  tokens  of  affection,  — 
and  ever  since  then  I  have  been  trying  to  make 
up  for  lost  time." 

"  It  is  only  more  time  wasted,"  she  answered. 

"Really?  Is  that  true,  Dolly?"  I  asked. 
"  Don't  you  intend  to  love  me  any  more  ? " 


6  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  Really,  I  ought  not,"  she  replied,  looking  down 
shyly.  Mistress  Dorothy  was  a  most  accomplished 
coquette,  as  I  had  found  out  long  before  this. 

"  Ought  not  what,  Dolly  ?  "  I  whispered. 

"To  love  you  any  more  —  than  I  do." 

Then  the  minx  lifted  up  her  head,  and  laughed 
in  my  face. 

"  What  a  fool  you  can  be,  Allan,  when  you  set 
about  it,"  she  remarked,  with  cousinly  candor. 
"  Or  are  you  trying  to  make  me  one  ? " 

I  saw  another  chance. 

"When  I  was  a  boy,  Mistress  Dorothy  —  " 

"  When  you  were  a  boy ! "  she  interrupted. 
"  And  pray,  Master  Allan,  when  did  you  outgrow 
that  affliction  ? " 

I  was  five  and  twenty,  and  felt  all  my  years.  I 
would  not  condescend  to  discuss  such  a  question 
with  a  chit  of  seventeen. 

"  When  I  was  a  boy,  Mistress  Dorothy,"  I  re- 
sumed, imperturbably,  "one  of  the  first  things  I 
was  taught  about  hunting  was,  that  there  is  no  use 
shooting  at  a  dead  duck." 

"Oh,  and  you  think  I  am  like  a  dear  little  duck? 
How  nice ! " 

I  was  disgusted  at  finding  the  point  of  my  re- 
tort (of  which  I  felt  rather  proud)  apparently  lost 
on  her,  though  I  was  quite  sure  she  understood  it 
perfectly. 


The  Last  of  the  Old  Life  7 

"  Dolly,  you  are  really  too  frivolous  for  a  sober- 
minded  young  man  to  associate  with,"  I  remarked, 
with  as  much  severity  as  I  could  muster.  "  I  fear 
you  will  injure  me." 

To  give  more  emphasis  to  the  remark,  I  with- 
drew several  feet  from  her,  and  left  her  sitting  by 
herself.  She  rose  slowly  to  her  feet,  with  a  look 
on  her  face  that  I  knew  meant  mischief,  and  came 
close  to  me. 

"  And  what  becomes  of  that  promise,  Master 
Allan  ? "  she  said,  laughing.  Another  slap  on 
that  abominable  bur  brought  me  to  my  own  feet 
in  a  twinkling.  I  had  forgotten  both  the  bur 
and  the  promise ;  her  words  reminded  me  of  the 
one,  her  action  of  the  other  —  and  both  to  my 
sorrow. 

She  fled  incontinently,  and  I  followed  as  best 
I  might,  determined  to  take  some  notable  revenge 
when  I  caught  her,  as  I  doubted  not  I  should  do 
in  the  end.  She  was  running  toward  the  house, 
where  she  knew  she  would  be  safe.  I  had  almost 
caught  up  with  her  when  we  both  narrowly 
escaped  bowling  over  my  cousin  George,  who 
stepped  out  from  behind  the  hedge,  holding  a 
packet  in  his  hand. 

"  Stop,  you  two  mad  people,  before  you  injure 
some  one,"  he  cried,  waving  the  packet.  "Allan, 


8  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

I  have  a  letter  for  you.  It  comes  from  Virginia, 
and  is  marked  '  in  haste.'  I  was  about  to  look  for 
you  to  deliver  it,  thinking  it  of  importance." 

Dorothy  stopped  beside  him. 

"  It  looks  dangerous,"  she  remarked,  peering 
over  her  brother's  shoulder.  "  Some  official  order, 
no  doubt.  It  may  be  the  King  has  named  our 
grave  and  reverend  cousin  Governor  of  Virginia; 
how  proud  I  should  be  to  find  myself  cousin 
to  a  Governor !  Or  perhaps  'tis  your  death-war- 
rant, Allan ;  open  it  quickly  !  " 

She  little  knew  how  near  it  would  come  to 
being  so. 

I  took  the  packet  and  broke  the  seal.  I  had 
recognized  the  hand,  and  expected  no  great  mat- 
ters, only  tidings  from  a  friend  at  home.  Tidings 
there  were,  indeed,  and  such  as  to  cause  my  face 
to  flush  with  excitement. 

"  What  is  it,  Allan  ? "  demanded  Dorothy,  who 
had  been  watching  my  face  with  lively  curiosity. 

I  looked  up  from  the  letter  and  spoke  to  both 
of  them. 

"  A  summons  to  Virginia,"  I  said.  "  The  Ind- 
ians have  broken  out  again,  and  the  frontier 
settlements  have  suffered  grievously.  The  Albe- 
marle  Riflemen  are  among  the  companies  that  go 
to  chastise  them,  and  I  must  hasten  home  unless 


The  Last  of  the  Old  Life  9 

I  wish  to  be  left  behind.  I  do  not  know  that  I 
can  catch  up  with  them  now,  for  we  are  not  used 
to  waste  time  in  starting  on  such  occasions.  The 
post  is  so  slow  in  bringing  the  news,  but  I  will  try 
to  reach  them." 

"  Not  so  slow,  this  time,"  said  George,  who  had 
glanced  at  the  letter.  "  The  letter  is  dated  only  a 
week  ago." 

"Even  so  —  a  week  for  the  letter  to  reach  me, 
and  a  week  for  me  to  reach  them ;  I  shall  be  late 
in  any  case." 

"  We  will  do  the  best  we  can  to  speed  you,"  said 
George.  "  I  will  go  to  get  the  horses  ready  to 
lose  no  time." 

"  Indeed,  yes ;  I  must  start  this  morning." 

Dorothy  had  been  a  listener  thus  far,  but  now 
she  must  speak. 

"  And  pray,  Master  Allan,  what  have  you  to  do 
with  the  Albemarle  Riflemen?"  she  asked,  with 
a  pretty  air  of  disdain. 

"  Mistress  Dorothy  Farnsworth,  I  have  the 
honor  to  be  a  lieutenant  in  that  honorable  body," 
I  responded,  making  her  a  ceremonious  bow. 

"  A  lieutenant !     You  ?  " 

"  Even  I,  unworthy  though  I  be  in  your  eyes." 

"  A  lieutenant !  Lieutenant  Allan  Darke  :  that 
sounds  very  well,"  she  murmured.  I  fancied  she 


IO  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

looked  at  me  with  more  respect  than  she  had  hith- 
erto shown  me.  "  But  I  supposed  they  enlisted 
only  men,"  she  went  on,  with  a  return  of  her  old 
impudence. 

"  Not  having  the  advantage  of  your  years  and 
experience,  they  imagined  that  I  was  a  man,"  I 
returned.  "  I  hope  the  Indians  may  not  find  me 
less." 

"  The  Indians !  You  are  going  to  fight  the 
Indians  !  I  had  forgotten  that." 

"  By  Jove,  so  had  I,  for  the  moment !  "  I  ex- 
claimed. "  I  have  no  time  to  lose.  I  must  beg 
your  indulgence,  Dolly,  for  deserting  you,  but  I 
must  pack  my  things." 

She  slipped  her  hand  into  mine,  and  walked 
with  me  to  the  house  without  further  remark. 
She  was  a  curious  compound  of  child  and  woman, 
with  many  of  the  affectionate  little  ways  of  the 
child,  together  with  a  large  share  of  the  wider 
sympathy  of  the  woman,  when  she  chose  to  let 
it  be  seen  —  which,  in  truth,  was  seldom,  she  hav- 
ing hardly  yet  outgrown  the  youthful  shame  at 
having  emotions. 

George  had  already  told  his  parents  of  my  in- 
tended departure,  and  things  were  in  train  to  allow 
me  to  set  out  quickly.  I  tossed  my  clothes  reck- 
lessly into  my  portmanteau,  at  great  risk  of  ruin- 


The  Last  of  the  Old  Life  II 

ing  the  whole  of  them,  and  had  almost  completed 
the  work  when  George  burst  into  my  room  with 
a  crash,  panting  from  his  quick  run  up  the  stairs. 

"  Allan,  I  have  an  idea  that  may  save  you  much 
time  in  getting  home,"  he  exclaimed.  "  Ride  with 
me  down  to  the  Cape,  where  there  are  often  ves- 
sels bound  for  Baltimore  that  have  stopped  for 
shelter  or  some  other  reason.  If  you  can  per- 
suade the  master  of  one  of  them  to  stop  on  his 
way  up  the  Chesapeake,  and  let  you  off,  you  can 
reach  home  in  half  the  time,  and  with  almost  no 
trouble.  The  fare  may  be  rough,  but  you  won't 
mind  that  for  a  few  days.  It  will  probably  be 
only  a  question  of  price  :  those  masters  are  always 
ready  to  pick  up  a  few  shillings  more.  Even  if 
we  find  no  vessel  there,  it  is  only  six  miles  added 
to  your  journey." 

"It  is  a  good  plan,"  I  said,  after  a  moment's 
thought.  "  The  very  chance  is  well  worth  the 
risk  of  the  extra  miles,  for  I  confess  I  don't  fancy 
the  prospect  of  riding  such  a  distance  in  the  haste 
that  I  must  make." 

"  Good,  I'll  have  my  own  horse  saddled  in  five 
minutes.  I  know  many  of  those  fellows,  and  may 
be  of  use  to  you,"  and  he  shot  out  of  the  room 
as  noisily  as  he  had  come  into  it. 

I    shook  hands  with  my  uncle,  and  kissed  my 


12  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

aunt ;  they  had  both  come  to  like  me  well  during 
my  visit,  the  first  I  had  ever  made  them,  and  were 
as  sorry  to  see  me  go  as  I  was  at  the  necessity 
that  constrained  me.  But  when  I  came  to  Doro- 
thy, she  surprised  me  by  putting  her  arms  around 
my  neck. 

"You  can  have  the  promise  you  wanted,  Allan," 
she  whispered ;  "  and  I  am  sorry  about  the  bur." 

Her  unwonted  tenderness  moved  me  so  that  I 
could  only  say,  "Thank  you,  Dolly,  dear,"  as  I 
kissed  her.  Then  I  looked  deep  into  her  eyes ; 
and  though  they  were  bright  with  a  suspicion  of 
tears,  there  was  no  such  expression  in  them  as  I 
almost  feared  to  find  —  only  affection,  honest  and 
cousinly.  She  was  sorry  for  the  loss  of  a  con- 
genial playfellow,  and  feared  a  little  for  his 
safety:  that  was  all. 

If  I  had  stayed  longer  with  them,  I  might 
have  come  to  fancy  myself  in  love  with  her 
(surely  man  could  have  no  better  excuse,  I 
thought !)  and  might  have  persuaded  her  to 
match  my  folly.  Which  thing  would  have  lost 
me  the  greatest  joy  of  life;  for,  though  I  knew 
it  not  at  that  time,  there  was  but  one  woman 
in  the  world  for  me,  and  she  was  not  my  cousin 
Dorothy.  Wherefore  I  had  occasion  many  times 
thereafter  to  thank  God  that  when  I  rode  away 


The  Last  of  the  Old  Life  13 

I  left  no  seed  of  earthly  love  implanted  in  my 
pretty  cousin's  heart,  and  carried  none  away  in 
mine. 

Neither  did  I  dream,  then,  that  this  was  the 
closing  chapter  of  my  old  life,  nor  that  I  was 
about  to  enter  new  scenes  that  would  alter  the 
whole  course  of  my  existence. 


II 

A   LAND   OF    MADMEN 

A  SLEEP  of  utter  exhaustion  was  broken  by 
the  glare  of  the  morning  sun  striking  fiercely 
through  my  eyelids,  and  burning  upon  my  face. 
I  sat  up  and  looked  around,  bewildered,  and 
unable,  for  some  time,  to  recollect  where  I  was. 
My  surroundings  speedily  reminded  me.  In  front 
lay  the  sea,  still  in  great  commotion  from  the 
storm  of  last  night.  The  surf  pounded  thunder- 
ously upon  an  even  flat  beach  of  dazzling  white 
sand  that  stretched  straight  away  on  either  hand 
as  far  as  I  could  see.  At  my  back  lay  a  great 
dune  of  sand  nearly  fifty  feet  high  and  some 
hundreds  of  yards  in  length ;  similar  dunes  fringed 
the  beach  above  and  below  where  I  stood.  Upon 
the  sea  not  a  thing  was  visible  except  the  curl- 
ing crests  of  the  waves  as  they  neared  the  shore ; 
on  the  land,  only  the  beach  and  the  dunes.  Of 
the  vessel  that  had  brought  me,  there  was  no 
sign.  If  she  had  been  driven  aground,  it  must 
be  miles  away,  for  not  even  a  broken,  useless 

14 


A  Land  of  Madmen  15 

piece  of  plank  seemed  to  have  been  cast  up 
from  hen  If  the  sea  was  running  last  night  as 
it  did  this  morning,  I  could  not  understand  how 
I  had  escaped  those  giant  breakers ;  and  I  felt 
sure  that  if  the  darkness  had  not  hidden  the 
prospect  that  I  had  to  face,  my  courage  and 
hope  would  never  have  sustained  me  through 
the  struggle. 

The  top  of  the  dune  behind  me  would  afford 
a  larger  vista,  and  some  living  thing  might  be 
visible  there.  On  the  seaward  side  it  was  too 
steep  to  climb  with  either  ease  or  safety,  so  I 
rose  and  walked  down  the  beach  toward  the 
lower  end  of  it.  I  felt  as  though  I  had  been 
pounded  in  a  mortar:  every  muscle  ached  pro- 
foundly, and  my  joints  seemed  to  creak  like 
wheels  that  lacked  oil.  The  hot  sun  had  already 
dried  my  clothes,  but  I  was  hungry  and  thirsty, 
and  as  weary  as  though  I  had  not  slept  for 
days. 

I  reached  the  end  of  the  dune,  and  as  I 
rounded  it  I  came  face  to  face  with  another 
man  who  was  coming  from  inshore.  We  were 
equally  surprised  at  the  encounter,  but  he  did 
not  hesitate  a  moment  before  levelling  in  my 
direction  the  gun  that  he  carried. 

"  Stop  where  you  are !  " 


16  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

His  weapon  was  a  convincing  argument,  and  I 
was  unarmed.  I  stopped  promptly. 

"  Who  are  you  ? "  he  demanded,  in  a  curiously 
monotonous  tone. 

"  A  castaway,"  I  answered.  "  I  was  blown 
ashore  here  last  night  and  had  just  started  in 
search  of  assistance." 

"  Sit  down  on  the  ground,  and  fold  your  arms !  " 
I  hesitated,  and  was  on  the  point  of  speaking. 
"Sit  down,"  he  repeated,  "or  I  fire  !  " 

There  was  not  the  variation  of  a  semitone  in  his 
voice;  it  seemed  best  to  obey.  He  lowered  his 
gun,  and  sat  himself  on  the  slope  of  the  dune, 
holding  the  weapon  ready  for  instant  use. 

"  What  is  your  name  ? " 

"  Allan  Darke." 

His  hands  clinched  on  the  gun,  and  he  started 
to  raise  it,  but  after  a  moment's  hesitation  he 
replaced  it  on  his  knees. 

"What  name?" 

"Allan  Darke,"  I  said.  I  longed  to  ask  why 
my  name  affected  him,  but  thought  I  had  better 
not  seem  too  curious  at  first  or  irritate  him. 

"  Where  did  you  come  from  ?  " 

"New  Jersey,  last;  from  Cape  May." 

"  Where  do  you  live  ? " 

"  My  home  is  in  Virginia,  though  I  have  not 
been  there  for  some  little  time." 


A  Land  of  Madmen  17 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  I  have  had  business  that  has  kept 
me  travelling  most  of  the  time.  Good  heavens, 
man,"  I  broke  out,  impatiently,  "I'm  hungry  and 
thirsty  and  worn  out  —  a  shipwrecked  man.  Give 
me  something  to  eat  and  drink,  and  then  I  will 
answer  as  many  questions  as  you  please  to  ask, 
but  for  God's  sake  spare  me  your  catechism  until 
then!" 

He  stared  at  me  for  some  minutes  without  a 
word.  His  face,  entirely  devoid  of  ruddiness, 
though  of  rather  dark  complexion,  was  like  a 
mask  in  its  entire  absence  of  changing  expres- 
sion :  like  a  stone  mask  in  its  fixedness.  In  all 
the  time  that  I  knew  him  afterward  —  in  pleas- 
ure, pain,  anger,  fear,  excitement  —  it  was  as 
immovable  as  granite.  Laughter  might  issue 
from  his  open  mouth,  or  a  cry  of  pain  or  rage, 
but  not  another  muscle  of  his  face  ever  moved. 
Not  only  his  features,  but  his  voice  also,  as  I 
learned,  was  blessed  (or  cursed)  with  the  same 
quality  of  unchangeableness.  It  was  rather  a 
pleasant  voice,  at  first  hearing,  but  when  he  spoke 
for  any  length  of  time  the  awful  monotony  of  its 
tone  became  almost  maddening. 

At  length  he  pointed  inland,  keeping  his  eyes 
on  me  watchfully. 


18 

"  Go  before  me  in  that  direction.  If  you  turn, 
or  attempt  to  escape,  I  shall  shoot." 

I  arose  obediently,  and  moved  in  the  direction 
indicated. 

"  I  certainly  don't  want  to  escape  until  I  have 
had  something  to  eat  and  drink,"  I  remarked  as 
I  passed  him.  "May  I  ask  who  you  are,  and 
where  I  am?" 

"  No.  The  Master  will  tell  you  what  pleases 
him." 

So,  he  was  not  the  Master.  There  was  hope 
in  that,  in  spite  of  the  saying,  "  Like  master,  like 
man."  It  could  not  be  that  there  were  two  such 
people  in  the  world,  I  thought ;  and  there  was  no 
reason  why  I  should  be  treated  like  an  enemy  or 
a  criminal  —  unless,  indeed,  I  had  stumbled  on  a 
band  of  criminals.  But  even  then  they  could 
have  no  reason  for  harming  me,  for  they  were 
welcome  to  the  little  money  I  carried  if  they 
would  give  me  food,  and  forward  me  on  my  way  ; 
and  as  for  fear  of  my  betraying  them,  I  felt  sure 
of  my  ability  to  convince  them  that  I  could  not 
do  that,  since  I  had  not  the  slightest  idea  of  my 
whereabouts,  except  that  I  had  come  ashore  many 
miles  below  Fenwick's  Island.  Besides,  I  was 
ready  to  give  them  every  assurance  of  my  abso- 
lute silence. 


A  Land  of  Madmen  19 

A  short  distance  from  where  we  had  met,  we 
came  to  a  road,  apparently  little  travelled,  and  at 
the  end  of  this,  about  a  mile  inland,  I  saw  a  grove 
of  trees.  I  was  too  weary  to  walk  fast,  and 
though  my  captor  did  not  hurry  me,  the  way 
seemed  long  enough  before  we  entered  the  well- 
trimmed  woods.  A  short  distance  ahead  I  could 
see  buildings  of  some  kind,  and  I  rejoiced  at  the 
prospect  of  food  and  rest.  In  time  we  met  a 
number  of  negroes,  who  stared  at  me  curiously; 
and  now  my  captor,  bidding  me  halt,  called  sev- 
eral of  them  to  him,  and  whispered  to  them.  A 
moment  after,  I  heard  light  footsteps  approaching 
me  from  behind  :  forgetful  of  the  command  not  to 
turn,  I  faced  about,  and  saw  three  of  the  negroes 
close  to  me.  Before  I  had  time  to  think,  even  if 
I  had  suspected  treachery,  they  had  sprung  on 
me  :  in  a  twinkling  my  hands  were  drawn  back- 
ward and  tied  behind  me,  so  that  I  was  perfectly 
helpless. 

"  What  does  this  mean  ? "  I  cried,  struggling 
furiously,  as  my  captor  approached  me.  "  Is 
this  the  way  you  treat  strangers  ? " 

"  It  is  the  way  we  treat  such  as  you,"  he  re- 
turned calmly,  as  he  handed  his  weapon  to  one 
of  the  negroes  to  carry.  "  Go  on,  now  !  " 

"  Where  to  ?  " 


2O  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  Where  I  tell  you :  straight  ahead  to  that 
house  you  can  see." 

"  I  won't  move  until  I  know  what  this  means. 
If  you  intend  me  evil,  I  may  as  well  die  here,"  I 
said  stubbornly. 

"You  will  not  be  harmed — yet,"  he  replied, 
with  a  little  laugh.  "  And  if  you  refuse  to  go, 
you  shall  be  whipped  until  you  learn  to  obey. 
Constantine,  get  me  a  whip." 

I  looked  at  his  expressionless  face,  and  could 
see  no  relenting.  Suddenly  I  remembered  that 
there  was  some  one  in  authority  over  him.  He 
had  spoken  of  the  Master,  and  though  the  con- 
duct of  the  servant  augured  ill  for  my  treatment 
by  his  superior,  there  was  yet  a  chance  of  better 
treatment. 

"  Very  well,"  I  said.  "  I  will  go  on.  But  if  I 
live,  you  shall  pay  for  this  some  day." 

He  laughed  again,  and  his  laugh  was  as  stony 
as  his  face. 

"  If  you  live !  We  shall  see."  The  prospect 
was  not  pleasant  to  contemplate. 

He  came  close  to  me.  "  I  will  show  you  how 
unnecessary  it  was  for  me  to  call  the  negroes,  if 
I  had  chosen  to  tie  you  up  myself,"  he  said. 

Placing  a  hand  lightly  under  each  of  my  arms, 
he  lifted  me  high  as  his  arms  could  reach,  then 


A  Land  of  Madmen  21 

tossed  me  several  feet  in  the  air,  and  caught  me 
as  I  descended. 

"You  see  I  am  fairly  strong,"  he  remarked, 
holding  me  just  off  the  ground.  "  I  could  easily 
lift  you  with  one  hand,  if  necessary.  You  will 
understand  that  it  is  not  well  to  trifle  with  me : 
beware  how  you  do  it !  " 

I  was  as  a  child  in  his  grasp ;  he  set  me  down 
lightly.  The  exertion  did  not  seem  to  have 
affected  him  in  the  least.  I  was  silent,  knowing 
not  what  to  say,  or  what  manner  of  man  this 
might  be.  He  led  me  to  a  side  entrance  and 
placed  me  on  a  bench,  with  one  of  the  negroes 
on  guard,  and  disappeared  for  half  an  hour. 
When  he  returned  he  said :  — 

"Come!  The  Master  says  you  are  to  be  fed 
before  your  trial." 

I  wondered  what  he  could  mean,  but  did  not 
attempt  to  guess.  I  was  really  too  tired  and 
hungry  to  think,  except  of  food ;  and  besides,  the 
whole  matter  would  be  plain  in  a  few  hours. 
More  than  sufficient  for  the  day  was  the  evil 
already  encountered. 

They  led  me  to  a  pleasant  room  where  a  table 
was  spread,  and  placed  a  good  meal  before  me. 
My  hands  were  untied,  that  I  might  eat  in  com- 
fort, but  behind  my  chair  stood  a  negro  with  club 


22  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

raised.  The  situation  was  not  reassuring,  though 
I  knew  they  would  not  strike  unless  I  should  offer 
to  rise  from  my  seat.  At  last  I  laid  down  my 
knife  and  fork  with  a  sigh  of  satisfaction,  feeling 
equal  to  encountering  anything. 

"  Are  you  ready  ?  "  said  my  captor,  who  had 
watched  me  silently. 

"Yes." 

"  Place  your  hands  behind  you. "  I  did  so, 
and  they  were  again  tied,  though  not  so  roughly 
as  the  first  time. 

"Now  come  to  the  Master."  He  led  me 
through  a  number  of  passages  to  a  great  square 
hall  at  the  front  of  the  house.  Evidently  the 
owners  were  well  to  do,  for  the  building  was  a 
large  one,  though  by  no  means  new,  and  the  fur- 
niture was  massive  and  finely  carved.  But  when 
we  entered  the  hall,  I  met  the  greatest  surprise 
of  my  life. 

Seated  at  the  far  end  of  the  hall,  I  saw  a  figure, 
—  an  old  man,  to  all  appearance.  He  wore  no 
wig,  and,  contrary  to  the  fashion  of  the  time,  his 
beard  had  been  allowed  to  grow.  It  flowed  mag- 
nificently down  his  breast,  and  though  his  com- 
plexion was  comparatively  fresh  and  full  of  health, 
the  hair  and  beard,  both  of  which  were  perfectly 
white,  gave  him  a  most  patriarchal  air.  His  was 


A  Land  of  Madmen  23 

one  of  the  most  imposing  presences  I  ever  saw. 
He  could  be  stern,  but  I  knew  at  the  same  glance 
he  could  be  just.  No  treachery,  no  murder, 
lurked  in  that  face.  My  spirits  rose  on  the  in- 
stant, and  I  was  sure  that  in  a  few  minutes  I 
should  be  released  and  cared  for. 

Close  by  him,  but  a  little  farther  back,  sat  a  girl 
of  about  twenty,  evidently  his  daughter.  She 
was  not  beautiful,  according  to  the  standard  of 
the  schools,  but,  rather,  she  was  imperial.  Her 
height  almost  equalled  my  own  (which  is  well 
above  the  average),  and  her  bearing  was  majestic. 
As  for  her  features,  they  were  irregular.  Her 
eyes  were  the  best  part  of  her  face :  great,  honest, 
truthful  eyes,  able  to  flash  in  anger  or  melt  with 
pity  or  love ;  eyes  that  looked  through  one,  and 
seemed  to  search  out  every  little  baseness  in  one's 
heart  and  rebuke  it.  And  the  face  was  one  that 
could  express  every  shade  of  emotion  and  feeling, 
while  in  general  it  maintained  the  strong  appear- 
ance of  her  father's.  In  spite  of  its  irregularities, 
it  was  a  handsome  face.  Yet  the  nose  was  some- 
what upturned,  the  mouth  was  large,  the  cheek- 
bones too  prominent.  Afterward,  I  came  to 
know  that  she  was  rarely  beautiful,  though  almost 
every  feature  transgressed  the  accepted  laws  of 
beauty.  The  bearing  of  the  lady  and  her  father 


24  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

reflected  conscious  power,  both  mental  and  physi- 
cal. 

As  I  was  led  into  the  hall,  it  was  evident  that 
these  were  to  be  my  judges.  My  captor  stopped 
me  in  the  middle  of  the  hall,  and  took  his  place 
beside  me ;  and  though  I  was  absolutely  void  of 
conscious  offence  toward  any  one,  those  two  pairs 
of  stern  eyes  made  me  almost  feel  as  though  I 
must  have  done  them  some  great  wrong.  There 
was  a  positive  accusation  in  their  gaze.  At  last 
the  old  man  broke  the  silence  —  a  long  silence. 

"Your  name,  sir,  if  you  please  ? " 

"  Allan  Darke." 

I  saw  his  hands,  which  lay  along  the  arms  of 
his  chair,  clinch  hard  on  the  leather  cushion. 

"  Is  that  your  own  name,  or  the  name  of  him 
who  sent  you?" 

"Nobody  sent  me.  My  name  is  Allan  Darke," 
I  said. 

"Where  do  you  live?" 

"  When  I  am  at  home,  at  my  plantation  of  Chil- 
ton,  in  Virginia.  It  is  well  known  all  over  the 
province." 

"Were  you  born  there?" 

"Yes;  my  family  have  been  well  known  there 
this  hundred  years  or  more.  In  Heaven's  name, 
what  does  this  mean,  sir?"  I  burst  out.  "Am  I 


A  Land  of  Madmen  25 

supposed  to  be  a  criminal  on  trial?  If  so,  I  de- 
mand to  know  upon  what  charge,  and  by  what 
authority?" 

The  man  who  stood  behind  me  seized  my 
shoulder  and  shook  me  roughly. 

"Answer  what  is  asked,  and  else  be  silent  —  or 
it  will  be  the  worse  for  you ! " 

Bound  as  I  was,  I  turned  on  him  fiercely,  for- 
getting my  helpless  condition.  I  was  thoroughly 
angry  at  his  insolence,  as  any  one  might  have 
been  in  a  similar  case,  and  was  in  no  mood  to  count 
the  cost  of  my  rashness.  Instantly,  he  clinched 
with  me,  and  in  another  moment  I  should  have 
gone  heavily  to  the  ground;  but  the  young  woman 
arrested  him  with  a  single  word  of  reproof. 

"Burton ! "  He  released  me  instantly,  and  stood 
stolidly  beside  me.  "  Stand  aside ! " 

"Yes,  My  Lady." 

Discipline  seemed  to  be  paramount  here.  He 
walked  to  the  other  side  of  the  hall,  much  to  my 
relief,  as  his  grasp  was  no  child's  play.  The  man 
had  muscles  of  iron. 

The  master  took  up  the  inquiry. 

"  I  beg  you  to  pardon  the  violence  of  my  ser- 
vant," he  said  courteously.  "He  is  zealous  in  my 
service,  and  does  not  think  of  consequences  where 
my  interests  are  at  stake." 


26  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

I  bowed  as  politely  as  my  condition  allowed. 

"I  appreciate  his  faithfulness,  though  I  should 
prefer  to  see  it  exhibited  in  some  other  way,"  I 
said.  "  I  really  do  not  see  any  occasion  for  such 
violent  measures  as  have  been  taken  with  me  — 
with  your  approval,  I  suppose." 

The  Master's  face  darkened.  "Your  excuses 
may  be  heard  later,"  he  said.  "Meanwhile,  be 
kind  enough  to  answer  my  questions.  You  will 
not  lose  by  it,  in  the  end." 

"  But  why  —  "I  began.  He  held  up  his  hand, 
and  I  stopped  short. 

"  All  that  afterward,  if  you  please." 

I  waited,  since  I  must.  He  was  the  Master,  in 
more  ways  than  one,  and  resistance  was  useless. 

"How  and  when  did  you  come  here? " 

"  I  was  blown  ashore  last  night,  as  I  told  your 
servant." 

"Why  did  you  come?"  He  asked  the  question 
as  though  my  previous  answer  had  not  covered 
the  same  ground. 

"Why  ?  Because  I  could  not  help  myself,  as  I 
told  you.  Do  you  suppose  people  get  shipwrecked 
on  purpose?"  I  burst  out. 

He  rose  from  his  seat ;  the  girl  moved  forward, 
and  laid  her  hand  on  his  arm,  whether  for  sup- 
port or  restraint,  I  could  not  tell.  Old  as  he 


A  Land  of  Madmen  27 

seemed,  his  eyes  gleamed  fiercely  with  the  fire 
of  youth. 

"Allan  Darke,  tell  me  the  truth!  Why  did 
you  come  here?" 

I  paused,  and  looked  long  at  him  before  answer- 
ing. If  the  man  was  mad,  he  surely  did  not  look 
it;  and  certainly  his  companion  seemed  sane 
enough. 

"  I  have  told  you  the  truth,"  I  returned,  with  a 
sort  of  dumb  despair. 

It  seemed  bootless  to  press  further  my  explana- 
tion in  the  face  of  this  determined  suspicion.  Yet, 
had  I  but  known,  I  should  have  seen  that  this 
weak  protest  confirmed  my  captors  in  their  hide- 
ous mistake. 

He  resumed  his  seat. 

"  Are  you  really  Allan  Darke,  of  Chilton  ?  "  he 
asked  again.  He  returned  to  this  one  idea  with  a 
curious  persistence. 

"Yes." 

"I  do  not  understand  your  plan,"  he  said 
thoughtfully.  "  I  do  not  see  why  you  should  ad- 
mit your  identity,  and  yet  deny  your  purpose  —  " 

"  I  tell  you  I  had  no  purpose,"  I  persisted. 

"  But  that  is  nothing,  since  we  know  it,"  he 
proceeded,  without  heeding  the  interruption.  "  I 
should  have  expected  you  to  have  sufficient  cour- 


28  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

age  to  abide  by  the  consequences  of  your  actions. 
I  regret  that  you  have  not.  I  could  even  find  it 
possible  to  doubt  that  you  are  Allan  Darke,  in 
spite  of  your  assertion  —  "  He  stopped  short,  as 
though  he  found  himself  saying  more  than  he  had 
intended.  His  manner  was  perfectly  judicial ; 
there  was  not  even  a  trace  of  excitement  about 
him. 

"  But  you  have  made  it  evident  that  you  are ; 
and  such  being  the  case,  there  is  nothing  to  do  but 
to  decide  what  is  to  be  done  with  you." 

"  For  God's  sake,  sir,"  I  broke  out  in  a  last 
attempt  to  cut  this  mystery,  "  what  do  you  mean  ? 
You  say  you  know  me,  and  my  plans  and  pur- 
poses, and  you  speak  as  though  I  were  some 
escaped  criminal,  or  as  though  you  had  known 
me  before.  There  is  some  horrible  mistake  here, 
and  I  cannot  imagine  what  it  is.  I  swear  to  you 
that  I  am  an  honest  man,  wrecked  much  against 
his  will  on  your  shore  —  and  I  do  not  know  even 
where  that  shore  is,  or  who  or  what  you  are.  On 
my  own  part,  I  have  nothing  to  conceal  from  you 
or  any  other  man ;  if  you  are  not  so  fortunate,  I 
assure  you  I  am  the  last  man  in  the  world  to  try 
to  ferret  out  your  secret,  or  to  betray  it  if  I  should 
happen  upon  it.  Your  secrets  are  nothing  to  me ; 
if  I  knew  them,  gratitude  for  succor  received 


A  Land  of  Madmen  29 

would  prompt  me  to  aid  you  to  conceal  them, 
especially  if  you  will  only  help  me  to  reach  the 
mainland  and  proceed  on  my  business,  which  is 
of  great  importance.  I  wish  you  no  harm,  and 
would  gladly  forget  your  very  existence,  if  you 
wish,  provided  you  will  only  allow  me  the  chance. 
I  swear  it  on  the  honor  of  a  gentleman !  " 

"  The  honor  of  a  gentleman !  "  he  repeated,  in 
cutting  tones,  passing  by  my  earlier  words  as  if 
they  were  the  babble  of  an  impostor.  "  The  honor 
of  a  gentleman  !  I  should  have  expected  a  slighter 
oath  from  you,  under  the  circumstances.  Again, 
I  regret  that  it  is  so.  But  it  makes  it  only  the 
more  necessary  for  us  to  take  our  own  course 
without  regard  to  your  assertions.  And  first,  for 
your  own  satisfaction,  and  to  make  it  plain  that 
we  are  not  deceived,  I  may  tell  you  that  I  know 
perfectly  who  you  are,  and  why  you  come  here. 
I  cannot  imagine  what  clew  you  could  have  found 
to  lead  you  here  after  all  these  years;  but  you 
made  a  great  mistake  in  following  it  alone.  God 
has  worked  for  me  hitherto,  and  this  time  He  has 
not  deserted  me.  He  delivered  you  into  my 
hands,  and,  until  my  servants  are  less  faithful 
and  less  vigilant  than  I  believe  them,  your  rash 
attempt  can  profit  you  nothing.  You  should  have 
remembered  that  we  were  desperate  men,  likely 


30  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

to  stop  at  nothing  that  would  assist  us  to  gain  our 
point  and  preserve  ourselves  safely !  "  He  seemed 
to  wish  to  hurt  me  by  a  sneer,  but  his  words  fell 
harmless  on  my  ear,  since  I  could  not  make  out 
their  meaning.  "  I  advise  you,  for  your  own  sake, 
to  repeat  no  more  your  silly  story  ;  it  will  do  noth- 
ing to  improve  your  plight." 

He  gave  me  no  chance  to  answer,  but  turned  to 
my  original  captor.  "  What  shall  we  do  with  him, 
Burton  ?  " 

The  graven  image  at  my  side  answered  impas- 
sively. 

"  Let  him  die." 

I  turned  quickly  to  glance  at  his  face,  forget- 
ting its  immobility.  Then  I  looked  at  the  girl, 
whose  eyes  were  opened  wide  in  astonishment  or 
horror. 

The  old  man  turned  to  her.  "What  say  you, 
my  daughter  ? " 

Her  eyes  were  watching  me,  though  she  an- 
swered her  father. 

"You  know  that  I  am  ignorant  of  all  the 
circumstances,  except  that  he  is  an  enemy.  I 
cannot  imagine  what  necessity  could  demand  the 
death  of  any  one,  so  I  hope  that  at  the  worst 
he  may  be  kept  a  prisoner.  Surely,  in  our  situ- 
ation, it  would  be  easy  to  keep  him  so  without 


A  Land  of  Madmen  31 

hurt  to  us ;  and  surely  you  would  not  wish  to 
take  a  man's  life." 

The  old  man  gave  me  a  sharp  glance  as  she 
finished,  probably  wishing  to  see  the  effect  of  her 
words  on  me,  though  I  could  not  guess  his  object. 
He  nodded  gravely  in  answer  to  her. 

"  She  speaks  wisely  and  mercifully,"  he  said. 
"  My  remaining  years  must  be  few ;  probably  I 
shall  not  live  many  months  longer.  After  I  am 
gone,  this  man  will  be  powerless  for  harm,  and  I 
would  not  go  down  to  the  grave  with  any  man's 
blood  on  my  soul."  Again  the  look  he  cast  at  me 
seemed  to  have  some  special  meaning;  again  I 
felt  at  a  loss  to  fathom  it. 

Burton  interrupted  him.  "  It  is  either  his  life 
or  —  " 

"  It  shall  be  neither ! "  responded  the  old 
man.  "I  understand  and  appreciate  the  reasons 
for  your  opinion,  but  I  cannot  approve  it,  and 
I  am  sure  you  did  not  expect  that  I  should. 
He  must  not  be  harmed,  but  he  must  not  leave 
the  island." 

"  His  parol,  father  ? "  queried  the  girl. 

The  Master  laughed  ironically. 

"  I  would  neither  offer  nor  accept  parol  in  the 
case  of  such  a  man  who  comes  sneaking  into  my 
home  to  do  me  harm,"  he  said  sternly. 


32  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  Sir !  "  I  cried,  astonished  and  stung  to  the 
quick  by  the  contempt  in  his  tone. 

"Sir?"  he  returned  calmly,  eying  me  as  though 
I  were  an  insect  under  a  magnifying  glass. 

"  If  you  were  a  younger  man,"  I  burst  out,  tak- 
ing a  step  forward,  and  trying  to  feel  for  the  place 
where  my  sword  ought  to  be. 

"You  would  challenge  me,  no  doubt,"  he  inter- 
rupted, with  a  sneer.  "  I  think  not.  If  I  were 
your  own  age,  you  would  not  be  so  anxious  to 
fight  with  me.  There  was  a  time  when  I  could 
hold  my  own,  with  sword  or  pistol,  against  any 
man  in  the  colonies.  I  have  had  my  little  affairs 
of  honor,  and  lost  no  honor  by  them ;  but  I  was 
always  careful  that  they  should  be  with  gentle- 
men" 

A  sort  of  stony  quiet  came  over  me.  All  the 
world  and  the  whole  course  of  events  were  com- 
bined against  me.  I  was  sure  mine  was  a  case  of 
mistaken  identity ;  but  there  was  no  way  to  right 
it  at  present.  Even  if  I  could  have  produced 
incontrovertible  evidences  of  the  truth  of  my  story, 
I  doubted  that  the  Master  would  believe  them, 
holding  as  he  evidently  did  to  some  false  notion. 

The  girl  whispered  to  him  again.  Low  as  she 
spoke,  I  heard  her. 

"  At  least  ask  him,  pray ! " 


A  Land  of  Madmen  33 

He  looked  unwilling,  but  finally  consented. 

"  Mr.  Darke,  will  you  give  me  your  word  not  to 
attempt  to  leave  this  island  during  my  life?  It 
will  not  be  for  long,"  he  added  softly. 

The  girl  clasped  his  arm  affectionately,  but  he 
did  not  look  at  her. 

"  Sir,"  I  answered  coldly,  "  you  are  inconsistent. 
You  refused  to  accept  my  assurance  that  you  had 
made  a  mistake  about  me ;  you  have  just  declared 
that  you  considered  me  unworthy  to  offer  a  parol, 
and  insinuated  plainly  that  my  position  as  a  gen- 
tleman was  not  sufficiently  good  to  entitle  me  to 
challenge  a  man  of  your  standing." 

I  spoke  with  some  bitterness,  as  the  situation 
warranted. 

"  Will  you  give  me  your  word,  sir  ? "  he  re- 
peated, entirely  unmoved. 

"  No,  I  will  not !  "  I  returned,  with  considerable 
heat,  quite  justified,  I  think,  by  the  circumstances. 
"  I  shall  escape  if  I  can ;  and  when  I  do,  I  assure 
you  I  shall  return  with  means  to  demand  explana- 
tion and  satisfaction  for  this  treatment." 

"Very  well,"  he  answered,  undisturbed  by  my 
threat.  "You  may  understand  that  you  are  a 
prisoner  within  the  limits  of  the  island.  You  will 
be  watched ;  as  long  as  you  act  peaceably  you 
will  not  be  harmed;  but  any  force  you  may  use 


34  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

will  be  met  by  force,  and  it  will  be  your  own 
fault  if  you  surfer  by  it.  If  you  have  any  com- 
plaints to  make  of  your  treatment  they  will  be 
heard,  and  the  matter  gone  into.  You  and  yours 
have  done  much  to  bring  sorrow  upon  me,  but  I 
have  no  wish  that  you  should  suffer  more  than  is 
unavoidable.  I  know  your  course  has  been  taken 
under  a  terrible  mistake.  You  consider  yourself 
justified  in  seeking  my  life  and  happiness  by  any 
means,  no  matter  how  secret  or  vile.  The  error 
that  has  led  to  this  attempt  is  but  natural,  per- 
haps, yet  I  must  take  care  that  its  consequences 
become  no  worse.  Burton,  you  will  give  instruc- 
tions to  the  slaves  to  this  effect.  Mr.  Darke  can 
live  in  the  south  cabin.  You  will  see  that  it  is 
properly  furnished,  and  will  supply  him  with  what- 
ever provisions  he  may  need.  Make  him  as  com- 
fortable as  the  case  allows.  He  will  miss  many 
conveniences  and  luxuries,  but  at  least  he  will  be 
better  off  than  in  confinement.  Loose  him,  and 
take  him  away  !  " 

I  resolved  to  make  one  last  appeal,  and  turned 
toward  the  girl. 

"  Madam,  I  believe  you  can  be  just  as  well  as 
merciful.  I  ask  only  for  justice.  Will  you  not 
beg  your  father  to  afford  me  some  plain  explana- 
tion of  this  matter  ? " 


A  Land  of  Madmen  35 

I  spoke  with  the  utmost  earnestness,  but  it 
seemed  to  make  no  impression  on  her. 

"  I  know  nothing  of  the  matter  as  yet,"  she 
answered.  "  I  trust  to  my  father's  judgment,  and 
I  am  sure  that  what  my  father  does  is  right." 

"Very  well,"  I  answered  sullenly.  "You  all 
refuse  to  give  or  receive  explanation.  At  present 
I  am  helpless,  among  a  colony  of  lunatics,  as  it 
seems ;  but  some  day  I  shall  call  you  all  to  account 
for  this  outrage.  The  law  —  " 

The  Master  smiled. 

"/  am  the  law  here,"  he  said  calmly,  while 
My  Lady  colored  high  with  indignation,  and  re- 
turned my  gaze  with  much  scorn.  Burton  grasped 
my  shoulder  with  a  grip  that  left  dark  marks 
upon  it  for  many  a  day  thereafter.  But  the  Mas- 
ter merely  said,  again,  — 

"  Loose  him,  and  take  him  to  his  quarters." 

Burton  loosed  his  grasp  with  manifest  reluc- 
tance, and  untied  my  arms  as  slowly  as  he  dared 
while  they  were  watching  him.  The  others  sat 
perfectly  still,  and  my  last  sight  was  of  My  Lady 
standing  with  her  hand  on  the  old  man's  shoulder, 
gazing  after  me  with  eyes  that  seemed  to  scorch 
my  heart,  innocent  as  I  knew  myself. 


Ill 

THE  MASTER,  MY  LADY,  AND  ME 

THE  "  south  cabin,"  as  the  Master  had  called  it, 
was  a  solidly  built  cabin  of  logs,  containing  two 
small  rooms.  The  roof  and  sides  seemed  to  be  in 
good  condition,  and  the  windows  were  large  and 
numerous  enough  to  promise  abundance  of  light 
and  air.  A  little  distance  behind  it  stood  a  great 
pile  of  cut  wood,  apparently  intended  for  the  use 
of  the  mansion,  and  more  than  sufficient  to  last 
me  for  many  months,  even  though  I  should  keep 
a  roaring  fire  going  continuously  in  the  fireplace. 
The  furniture  was  plain  and  rude  but  quite  exten- 
sive enough  for  comfort;  bedding  and  cooking 
utensils  were  there,  and  a  rough  closet  contained 
a  stock  of  provisions.  The  place  seemed  ready 
for  occupancy  at  a  moment's  notice,  and  I  won- 
dered how  many  prisoners  had  been  housed  there 
before  me.  Incidentally,  I  also  wondered  how 
long  they  had  been  there,  and  what  had  become 
of  them  in  the  end. 

Burton  showed  me,  in  a  surly  manner,  where 
36 


The  Master,  My  Lady,  and  Me  37 

the  various  articles  were  stowed,  and  turned  to 
go.  "  Wait  a  moment ! "  I  exclaimed.  "  Now  that 
you  people  seem  to  have  settled  everything  to 
your  own  satisfaction,  can  you  not  tell  me  what 
all  this  means  ? " 

He  laughed  grimly. 

"  What  is  the  use  of  keeping  up  the  play  now  ? " 
he  said.  "You  need  no  telling,  and  even  if  you 
did,  you  have  come  to  the  last  man  from  whom 
you  would  be  likely  to  get  it.  You  will  find  no 
confessions  here,  I  promise  you,  and  no  cringing. 
You  may  consider  yourself  lucky  that  you  are 
living.  I  wish  I  had  blown  your  cursed  head  off 
when  I  met  you  on  the  beach.  I  should  have 
done  it  in  a  moment,  if  I  had  supposed  the  Master 
would  be  so  weak  as  to  spare  you.  But  he  always 
was  tender-hearted,  and  he  has  grown  more  so 
during  these  late  years.  For  my  own  part,  I 
should  like  nothing  better  than  to  hang  you  up 
to  the  nearest  tree,  or  blow  your  brains  out  where 
you  stand." 

"  But  why  ? "  I  queried. 

He  stamped  his  foot  savagely,  and  made  a 
threatening  motion. 

"  Don't  try  me  too  far,"  he  said,  "  or  I  shall  for- 
get my  orders  and  twist  your  neck  now.  Stay 
where  you  are,  and  ask  no  questions,  and  you  will 


38  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

be  safe  enough  for  the  present ;  try  to  escape,  or 
go  on  provoking  me,  and  your  life  will  not  be 
worth  a  penny." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  I  must  confine  myself  to 
this  hut  ? "  I  demanded,  with  heat.  "  Because  I 
won't  do  it." 

The  words  raised  his  anger;  he  glared  at  me 
fiercely,  but  his  orders  were  to  spare  me,  and  he 
mastered  his  rage. 

"  No ;  you  may  wander  where  you  please,  within 
the  limits  of  the  island.  But  mind,  no  attempts  at 
leaving.  You  were  not  wanted  here;  but  now 
that  you  are  here,  you  are  too  valuable  a  posses- 
sion to  be  parted  with  lightly,  though  you  may  be 
mislaid  some  day,"  he  added  ironically. 

He  was  hopelessly  inimical ;  I  turned  away 
without  further  question,  and  began  to  examine 
my  belongings.  He  lingered  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  then,  finding  that  I  intended  not  to  notice 
him  further,  walked  rapidly  away  toward  the 
mansion. 

As  soon  as  he  was  at  a  safe  distance,  I  dragged 
a  stool  to  the  open  door,  and  sat  down  to  survey 
my  surroundings  and  ponder  on  my  strange  situa- 
tion. The  cabin  was  placed  about  half  a  mile 
from  the  mansion,  near  the  edge  of  a  grove  of 
large  trees  that  covered  some  twenty  acres.  On 


The  Master,  My  Lady,  and  Me  39 

all  sides  lay  fields  and  pasture  lands.  Southward, 
about  a  mile  distant,  a  great  wood  stretched  for 
more  than  a  mile  east  and  west ;  I  could  not  guess 
its  depth.  Northward  lay  the  house,  with  more 
woods  at  a  considerable  distance  beyond.  To  the 
east  lay  the  sea  and  the  dunes,  as  I  had  good 
cause  to  know;  and  westward  I  could  see  more 
water,  a  mile  or  so  from  the  hut.  In  this  direc- 
tion there  was  a  clear  view  down  to  the  shore, 
whereby  I  knew  that  the  absence  of  dunes,  which 
would  have  hidden  it,  indicated  calmer  water.  On 
this  side,  then,  must  lie  some  inland  bay  or  sound, 
and  probably  the  mainland  would  be  not  many 
leagues  distant.  There  must  lie  my  best  chance 
for  escape ;  for  I  was  enough  of  a  woodsman  to 
be  sure  that  if  I  could  land  there  with  half  an 
hour's  start,  my  captors  could  never  find  me,  even 
though  they  dared  pursue  me.  It  was  not  at  all 
likely  that  they  would  so  dare ;  they  were  proba- 
bly without  influence  on  the  mainland,  since  their 
one  idea  seemed  to  be  concealment  and  having 
nothing  to  do  with  the  outside  world.  It  only 
remained  to  find  or  make  a  conveyance,  and  then 
to  escape  the  vigilance  of  my  keepers.  Patience 
and  perseverance  would  certainly  provide  the  op- 
portunity, and  I  resolved  to  snatch  at  any  and 
every  chance,  however  desperate.  I  was  utterly 


40  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

destitute  of  tools  or  weapons,  but  I  was  young, 
and,  as  I  flattered  myself,  not  without  ingenuity. 
The  Master  was  too  old  to  interfere ;  however 
numerous  the  slaves  might  be,  they  could  not  spend 
all  their  time  in  watching  me,  nor  could  Burton, 
though  he  evidently  hated  me  enough  to  make 
such  an  occupation  an  enjoyable  one. 

I  arose  and  took  a  survey  of  my  immediate 
surroundings.  The  grove  in  which  the  hut  stood 
had  not  been  touched  by  the  axe  ;  the  cut  wood 
must  have  been  brought  from  the  more  distant 
growth  to  the  south.  A  few  yards  away,  a  spring 
provided  an  abundance  of  water,  and  the  sea,  little 
more  than  a  mile  distant,  promised  a  bath  when- 
ever I  desired.  It  was  as  pretty  a  neighborhood 
as  any  one  could  imagine  wherein  to  pass  a  few 
weeks  or  months  of  solitude.  If  only  I  had  not 
felt  myself  a  prisoner,  I  should  have  enjoyed  a 
short  sojourn  there  immensely;  but,  with  the 
usual  perversity  of  human  nature,  the  feeling  that 
I  was  a  prisoner  took  away  all  possibility  of  en- 
joyment. 

It  is  hardly  worth  while  to  go  into  a  detailed 
statement  of  my  doings  for  some  weeks,  for  they 
were  much  alike  from  day  to  day.  It  became  my 
custom,  after  breakfasting,  to  put  some  provisions 
in  my  pocket,  and  set  out  to  explore  the  island, 


The  Master,  My  Lady,  and  Me  41 

returning  about  dusk.  As  the  island  measured 
only  some  seven  miles  long  by  two  broad,  it  did 
not  take  long  to  become  fairly  familiar  with  its 
general  outlines,  and  I  began  to  study  it  in  detail. 
I  tramped  the  woods  until  I  could  almost  find  my 
way  through  them  blindfold,  and  felt  sure  that  if 
I  should  attempt  to  escape  at  night,  not  one  of 
my  pursuers  could  thread  them  more  easily  than 
I  could.  I  studied  the  outlines  of  the  shore,  and 
made  intimate  acquaintance  with  every  curve  of 
the  beach,  every  indentation,  every  shallow  and 
sand-bar ;  for  wherever  the  state  of  the  water  in- 
dicated a  bar,  there  I  either  waded  or  swam,  until 
I  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with  its  depth  and 
dimensions.  No  knowledge  would  come  amiss, 
and  I  neglected  nothing  that  suggested  itself ;  for 
I  was  resolved  that  a  single  attempt  at  escape 
should  be  final.  Every  day  I  spent  some  hours 
on  the  beach  :  now  on  the  seaward  side  among  the 
dunes ;  now  looking  toward  the  distant  mainland, 
searching  vainly  for  an  approaching  ship  or  boat 
that  I  might  signal  to  my  rescue.  If  one  had  ever 
come  within  a  mile  or  so,  I  should  have  attempted 
to  swim  off  to  it,  for  I  was  a  good  swimmer,  as 
might  be  imagined  from  the  circumstances  of  my 
first  landing.  But  day  after  day  passed  without 
a  single  speck  of  white  heaving  in  sight.  The 


42  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

island  seemed  to  be  planted  in  a  deserted  sea,  and 
I  began  to  wonder  what  part  of  the  world  I  could 
have  stumbled  upon,  though  I  thought  I  knew 
my  whereabouts  within  much  less  than  a  hundred 
miles.  I  had  not  supposed  it  possible  to  find  so 
deserted  a  spot  on  the  whole  coast,  from  Boston 
to  Savannah. 

My  first  idea,  of  course,  was  to  get  hold  of  a 
boat  in  some  way ;  failing  that,  to  construct  a  raft. 
I  had  no  difficulty  in  discovering  where  the  boats 
were  kept ;  a  large  boat-house  in  which  a  number 
of  small  boats  were  stored,  stood  on  the  shore  of 
a  little  inlet  about  a  mile  from  my  cabin,  and 
about  the  same  distance  from  the  mansion.  I 
knew  that  Burton  would  take  precautions  to  pre- 
vent my  getting  at  them;  but  I  was  hardly  pre- 
pared to  find  that  two  stalwart  negroes  guarded 
the  boat-house  by  day,  and  were  relieved  by  two 
others  who  watched  all  night.  A  small  sloop  was 
moored  to  the  wharf ;  but  she  was  secured  not  only 
by  ropes  but  by  chains,  and  the  amount  of  rust 
on  the  chains  indicated  that  it  was  long  since  the 
little  vessel  had  been  used.  Even  the  small  boats 
were  seldom  taken  out,  except  for  pleasure,  for 
whenever  fresh  fish  was  wanted,  some  of  the 
negroes  dragged  a  great  seine.  Also,  in  my  wan- 
derings, from  time  to  time  I  caught  a  glimpse  of 


The  Master,  My  Lady,  and  Me  43 

a  negro  at  a  considerable  distance  behind  me, 
and  felt  sure  that  a  constant  watch  was  kept  over 
my  movements.  Sometimes  I  tried  to  elude  my 
followers,  but  rarely  with  much  success;  if  I 
threw  one  of  them  off  my  track,  it  was  not  long 
before  another  one  appeared  in  some  other  direc- 
tion. A  few  times  I  detected  Burton  himself  en- 
gaged in  the  pursuit.  It  was  irksome  to  feel  that 
my  every  movement  was  spied  upon,  though  when 
the  ludicrous  side  of  the  matter  struck  me,  I  would 
laugh  aloud  at  the  mistake  they  were  making,  and 
at  all  the  trouble  and  anxiety  they  were  wasting 
on  a  man  who  could  not  harm  them  if  he  would, 
and  who  would  have  been  only  too  glad  to  forget 
their  very  existence.  And  then,  when  the  burst 
of  laughter  was  over,  the  cruelty  and  injustice  of 
the  thing  would  strike  me  afresh,  bringing  a  feel- 
ing of  intense  irritation ;  so  that  sometimes  I  felt 
disposed  to  go  straight  to  the  boat-house  and  fight 
my  way  to  freedom,  or  be  killed.  It  was  fortu- 
nate that  I  had  no  weapons,  or  there  is  no  guess- 
ing what  folly  I  might  have  committed. 

When  the  day  was  clear,  I  had  no  difficulty  in 
making  out  the  mainland  from  the  westward  side 
of  the  island,  apparently  some  four  or  five  miles 
away.  On  this  side  lay  my  best  chance  of  escape, 
for  there  seemed  nothing  to  hope  for  to  seaward. 


44  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

I  could  not  doubt  that  this  side  would  be  watched 
more  carefully  than  the  other,  and,  in  case  of 
escape,  this  place  would  be  the  first  to  be  looked 
after.  On  this  side  a  desperate  man  might  try  to 
escape  by  means  of  a  raft,  or  even  by  swimming, 
since  the  opposite  shore  was  not  more  than  five 
miles  away,  as  nearly  as  I  could  judge,  and  might 
possibly  be  reached  in  this  way.  But  eastward,  or 
to  the  north  or  south,  nothing  but  a  boat  would 
serve;  and  all  the  boats,  which  were  kept  on  the 
inland  side,  were  too  well  guarded  to  give  me  any 
hope  of  seizing  one  of  them. 

In  the  course  of  my  wanderings  I  frequently 
met  with  negroes  working  in  the  fields  or  woods, 
and  always  stopped  for  a  few  minutes  to  chat 
with  them.  I  knew  that  whatever  tale  might 
have  been  told  them,  they  could  not  possibly  cher- 
ish the  same  feeling  of  animosity  against  me  as 
did  the  white  people.  In  a  land  where  a  man 
has  only  enemies,  even  the  toleration  of  the  low- 
est may  have  its  advantages,  and  it  was  not  for 
me  to  neglect  any  possible  chances.  If  I  could 
find  a  disaffected  one  among  them,  he  might  be 
of  infinite  use  to  me.  But  I  am  bound  to  acknowl- 
edge that  from  first  to  last  I  never  found  one  who 
would  not  rather  have  cut  off  his  right  hand  than 
do  anything  that  seemed  likely  to  injure  the  Master. 


The  Master,  My  Lady,  and  Me  45 

At  first  they  were  very  reticent,  though  never 
uncivil ;  but,  after  some  weeks,  finding  that  I 
seemed  perfectly  harmless,  they  became  to  some 
extent  more  friendly,  and  some  of  them  even 
seemed  pleased  to  have  me  stop  and  speak  to 
them.  I  early  discovered  that  they  had  been 
warned  to  give  me  no  information,  and  to  watch 
over  my  movements  when  they  met  me.  They 
did  their  utmost  to  keep  me  in  ignorance  of  the 
place  and  the  people,  but  an  uneducated  man  is 
seldom  a  match  for  an  educated  one  at  such  a 
game ;  and  such  a  strait  as  mine  was  a  matter  to 
improve  one's  acuteness  immensely,  so  that  from 
isolated  hints,  unknown  to  them,  I  deduced  many 
things.  I  learned  to  remember  and  combine  dis- 
connected remarks  in  a  way  that  years  of  practice 
would  not  have  accomplished  under  less  pressure 
of  need.  Among  other  things,  I  gathered  that 
they  were  entirely  ignorant  of  the  cause  of  my 
detention,  and  doubtless  they  wondered  about  it  as 
much  as  I  did.  But  even  those  who  liked  me  best 
were  wonderfully  faithful  to  the  Master,  and  neither 
artifice  nor  promised  reward  could  draw  one  sylla- 
ble of  direct  or  intentional  information  from  them. 

"Who  owns  this  plantation?"  I  asked  a  friendly 
negro  one  day. 

"  Massah." 


46  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  Yes,  I  know  that ;  but  what  is  his  name  ?  " 

"  Massah,"  he  answered  stolidly. 

"  But  hasn't  he  a  name?" 

"  I  s'pose  so." 

"  Well,  then,  what  is  it  ?  " 

"Doan'  you  know,  sah?"  he  asked  cautiously. 

"  No ;  I  never  heard  him  called  anything  but 
'  the  Master.' " 

"  Me  no  more,"  he  affirmed.  I  could  not  de- 
cide whether  cunning  or  stupidity  dictated  the 
reply,  though  I  could  hardly  believe  the  state- 
ment, and  tried  another  way  to  ferret  out  the 
desired  information. 

"  Is  the  young  lady  his  daughter  ? " 

"  Yes."  His  face  lighted  up  at  the  mention  of 
her. 

"What  is  her  name?" 

"  My  Lady." 

"  But  that  isn't  her  name,"  I  objected. 

"  'At's  what  we  call  her." 

"  Then  what  does  the  Master  call  her  ? " 

He  only  looked  at  me  distrustfully,  and  turned 
back  to  his  work.  I  walked  away,  discouraged. 

There  seemed  to  be  no  objection  to  my  wander- 
ing all  over  the  island  at  any  time  of  day  or  night; 
even  the  precincts  of  the  great  house  were  not 
forbidden,  and  I  fell  into  the  habit  of  walking 


The  Master,  My  Lady,  and  Me  47 

over  to  the  mansion  in  the  still  spring  and  sum- 
mer evenings.  I  would  station  myself  somewhere 
within  good  seeing  distance  of  the  front  rooms, 
and  through  the  open  windows,  evening  after 
evening,  I  watched  the  Master  and  My  Lady, 
though  I  was  careful  to  keep  far  enough  away 
to  prevent  any  accusation  of  eavesdropping,  in 
case  any  one  should  be  watching  me.  I  would 
never  have  believed  that  a  few  weeks  of  semi-soli- 
tude could  cause  such  an  intense  longing  for  culti- 
vated companionship  as  I  suffered ;  and  even  this 
distant  observation  of  my  captors  was  an  immense 
solace  to  me. 

It  was  beautiful  to  see  the  affection  of  those 
two.  It  displayed  itself  in  every  look  and  ges- 
ture. The  very  way  in  which  My  Lady,  in  pass- 
ing, would  put  her  hand  on  her  father's  shoulder 
or  his  arm,  proved  the  tender  solicitude  that  she 
felt  for  him.  The  very  way  she  bent  over  him, 
like  a  protecting  angel,  even  when  she  did  not 
touch  him,  and  he  hardly  knew  of  her  presence 
until  she  had  passed  by,  was  enough  to  excite 
the  envy  of  a  man  who  felt  himself  an  exile 
among  a  hostile  people.  He  seemed  to  be  an 
old  man,  though  his  complexion  —  probably  due 
to  his  quiet  and  temperate  style  of  living  —  was 
almost  that  of  a  boy,  with  its  clear  red  and  white 


48  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

and  smooth  skin.  The  way  the  color  came  and 
went  on  his  face  would  have  excited  the  envy 
of  most  of  our  Virginia  belles.  Yet  there  was 
nothing  effeminate  about  him ;  his  change  of  color 
would  be  plainly  caused  by  the  vivacity  of  his 
conversation,  which  was  unrestrained  by  the  train- 
ing that  men  living  in  less  solitude  acquire  early 
in  life.  He  must  have  been  strong  and  bold  and 
active  when  he  was  young. 

Frequently  during  those  evenings  I  heard  My 
Lady  singing,  and  it  was  a  vast  delight  to  me 
when  I  saw  her  move  toward  her  harp  in  response 
to  the  Master's  request.  Though  I  could  not  hear 
his  words,  her  voice  had  a  penetrating  quality  that 
bore  it  out  clearly  into  the  trees  where  I  was 
accustomed  to  stand,  and  I  could  distinguish  her 
words  plainly.  Sometimes  the  songs  were  old 
ones,  with  which  I  was  perfectly  familiar;  some- 
times they  were  strange  to  me,  yet  always  they 
were  such  as  suited  exactly  the  compass  and 
quality  of  her  voice,  and  there  was  in  them  an 
accent  of  feeling,  of  meaning,  that  is  so  often 
lacking  in  well-trained  voices.  She  sang  only 
such  songs  as  answered  her  mood  at  the  time, 
and  she  sang  them  as  though  they  had  been 
written  on  the  moment,  and  for  the  temper  she 
was  in  at  the  instant. 


The  Master,  My  Lady,  and  Me  49 

There  was  one  song,  especially,  strange  to  me, 
but  plainly  an  old  one  to  her,  that  she  sang  more 
frequently  than  any  of  the  others.  From  the 
Master's  behavior  while  she  sang  it,  I  judged 
that  it  was  an  old  favorite  of  his  own.  He 
seemed  to  ask  for  it  often,  and  I  heard  it  so 
many  times  that  both  the  words  and  the  air 
became  indelibly  impressed  on  my  memory,  like 
the  nursery  songs  that  our  nurses  sing  to  us  over 
and  over  when  we  are  children.  The  first  two 
verses  were  in  a  plaintive  minor  key,  as  though 
the  singer  were  filled  with  regrets  for  the  long- 
lost  days  of  youth,  and  when  she  sang  them,  the 
Master  was  wont  to  shade  his  face  with  his  hand, 
and  sit  motionless. 

When  autumn  is  adorning 

The  mountain  sides  with  gold, 
And  clouded  skies  give  warning 

The  year  is  growing  old  ; 
When  oak  leaves  turn  to  amber, 

And  chestnut  burs  unclose, 
There  blooms  without  my  chamber 

A  single  crimson  rose. 

Just  one ;  but  from  its  growing 

In  lonely  splendor  there, 
New  beauty  gathers,  showing 

A  hundred  times  more  fair, 


50  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

A  thousand  times  more  precious 

Than  all  the  blossoms  strewn 
On  clusters  tall  and  gracious 

In  brighter  days  of  June. 

Then  the  air  changed  to  a  triumphant  major 
key,  full  of  patience  and  hope,  full  of  satisfac- 
tion, and  the  Master  would  sit  up  and  gaze  at 
My  Lady,  with  all  his  soul  in  his  eyes,  and  watch 
her  as  though  she  had  brought  back  to  him  the 
love  and  promise  of  his  youth. 

So,  when  my  youth  is  stricken, 

And  frost  of  age  appears, 
My  soul,  perchance,  may  quicken 

To  bloom  of  early  years. 
One's  heart  need  not  be  blasted, 

And  hope  need  not  be  fled, 
Though  summer  flowers  are  wasted, 

And  summer  days  are  dead. 

And  I  thought  I  could  read  his  secret  thoughts. 
To  him,  My  Lady  was  the  rose,  growing  in  lonely 
splendor  and  bringing  back  the  memories  of  his 
youth.  The  words  seemed  to  describe  her  ex- 
actly. Even  by  reason  of  the  lost  golden  days  of 
his  youth,  she  was  a  thousand  times  more  pre- 
cious to  him  ;  through  her  his  soul  was  reawak- 
ened, his  youth  restored,  and  for  a  little  space  he 
dwelt  in  the  past  and  the  present  at  once.  By  his 


The  Master,  My  Lady,  and  Me  51 

face  I  knew  that  some  part  of  that  past,  at  least, 
had  been  a  most  happy  one ;  and  I  could  readily 
understand  how  happy,  if  My  Lady  was  like  her 
mother,  as  seemed  most  likely.  The  symbolism 
of  the  song  was  self-evident,  and  I  envied  the 
Master  both  his  dreams  of  the  past  and  his  joys 
of  the  present. 

Then,  sometimes,  it  would  come  home  to  me 
how  I  was  cut  off  from  human  intercourse,  and  by 
whom.  My  proper  place  should  have  been  by  My 
Lady's  side,  an  honored  guest  of  the  house.  Yet 
absolutely  without  reason  that  I  could  discover, 
they  had  cast  me  out  from  their  presence,  and 
made  me  the  lowest  of  all  human  things  on  that 
island.  I  could  not  even  go  to  my  own  place  and 
dwell  among  my  own  people. 

And  at  such  times  the  sweetness  of  My  Lady's 
singing  brought  with  it  a  bitterness  that  I  tasted 
long  afterward,  and  the  evil  more  than  outweighed 
the  good.  I  returned,  however,  to  gaze  at  them 
again  and  again,  and  in  watching  them  I  grew  to 
feel  as  though  they  were  friends  whom  I  knew 
well,  yet  could  not  reach,  and  sometimes  it 
seemed  as  though  I  could  almost  read  their 
thoughts.  While  I  watched  them,  I  entered  into 
My  Lady's  tender  care  for  the  old  man's  health 
and  happiness,  and  fully  sympathized  with  his 


52  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

love  for  her,  his  pride  in  her.  So  much  so,  that 
sometimes  I  shared  in  his  interest  in  her,  that  is, 
until  I  remembered  the  estimation  in  which  they 
both  held  me ;  and  then  I  would  awake  to  the  real 
state  of  things,  and  curse  —  perhaps  I  had  better 
not  say  what  I  cursed.  They  were  my  enemies, 
my  tyrants,  and  they  detested  and  despised  me  — 
or,  at  least,  the  man  they  took  me  to  be.  I  ought, 
by  rights,  to  have  hated  them  in  return,  but  what 
I  saw  during  those  evenings  disarmed  me,  and  I 
could  only  feel  greatly  grieved  that  I  could  not 
prove  to  them  that  I  was  really  their  friend.  I 
knew  they  could  not  have  many  friends,  living  the 
lonely  life  they  did,  and  I  felt  a  great  desire  to  let 
them  know  that  they  were  losing  the  chance  of 
one  who  could  be  as  devoted  to  them  as  they  were 
to  each  other. 

But  they  never  afforded  me  an  opportunity. 
The  Master  rarely  went  far  from  the  house.  De- 
spite his  fresh  and  youthful  complexion,  he  walked 
like  the  old  man  that  his  whitened  hair  and  beard 
proclaimed  him.  His  strength  was  unequal  to 
support  him  any  distance  ;  when  he  walked  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  house,  he  leaned  heavily  on 
the  arm  of  My  Lady  or  of  Burton.  I  almost 
began  to  feel  a  respect  for  the  latter,  when  I  saw 
the  care  he  took  to  protect  the  Master.  And 


The  Master,  My  Lady,  and  Me  53 

though  in  my  wanderings  I  frequently  met  My 
Lady  riding  across  the  country  or  walking  on  the 
beach,  she  gave  me  no  opportunity  of  addressing 
her,  passing  me  at  as  great  a  distance  as  she 
could,  not  even  throwing  a  glance  in  my  direc- 
tion after  the  first  sight  of  me ;  while  her  face  was 
invariably  set  with  such  an  expression  of  indiffer- 
ence or  contempt  that  it  would  have  been  a  far 
bolder  man  than  I  who  would  have  ventured  to 
address  her  uninvited. 


IV 

A  FIRST  ATTEMPT  —  AND   FAILURE 

I  HAD  flattered  myself  that  my  ingenuity  would 
discover  or  contrive  a  means  of  escape;  but 
when  two  months  had  gone  by  without  offering 
a  single  chance,  I  began  to  doubt.  My  jailers 
were  more  acute  and  more  careful  than  I  had 
counted  on,  and  there  seemed  to  be  no  relaxation 
of  their  vigilance. 

The  very  first  necessity  was  some  means  of 
transport  to  the  opposite  shore  of  the  sound.  A 
boat  was  not  to  be  looked  for,  and  I  had  no  means 
of  constructing  a  raft  (even  if  the  watch  kept  on 
me  would  not  have  prevented  its  construction,  or 
have  discovered  its  existence  before  I  had  oppor- 
tunity to  make  use  of  it),  or  of  propelling  it  if  I 
had  been  able  to  make  it.  I  had  at  least  the  con- 
solation of  believing  that  my  captors  had  relaxed 
their  watch  to  some  slight  degree,  so  that  I  could 
occasionally  move  about  for  a  short  time  at  night 
without  being  spied  upon,  and  at  length  I  resolved 
to  put  into  play  the  only  means  that  suggested 

54 


A  First  Attempt  —  and  Failure  55 

itself.  It  was  desperate,  but  less  so  than  swim- 
ming, which  seemed  the  only  other  alternative. 

I  had  no  means  of  felling  a  tree,  my  only  edged 
tool  being  a  common  table  knife  of  poor  quality ; 
and  though  the  watch  on  me  had  become  less 
apparent,  it  was  still  too  sharp  and  too  constant  to 
allow  me  to  make  any  manifestation  unknown  to 
the  watchers,  even  had  I  had  an  axe.  But  certain 
pasture  grounds  near  the  stables  were  fenced  in 
with  common  snake  fences.  The  rails  being 
merely  piled,  and  not  fastened,  a  rail  or  two  was 
not  likely  to  be  missed.  Late  one  night  I  ab- 
stracted a  large,  round  rail,  and  carried  it  down  to 
a  certain  spot  on  the  shore,  some  two  miles  distant 
from  my  cabin,  and  there  concealed  it  among  the 
tufts  of  marsh  grass  where  I  could  easily  find  it 
at  any  hour.  I  dared  not  repeat  the  theft  that 
night,  fearing  to  arouse  attention,  for  the  cabins 
of  the  negroes  were  only  a  short  distance  from  the 
pasture  ground.  I  even  restrained  my  impatience 
for  four  nights  afterward  before  I  ventured  to 
repeat  the  operation.  Then  I  had  my  means  at 
hand. 

The  next  day  I  selected  and  cut  off  a  number 
of  long  strips  of  tough  vines,  and  got  them  to  my 
cabin  unnoticed  by  winding  them  about  my  body 
beneath  my  coat.  Rope,  I  had  none,  and  these  were 


56  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

to  supply  its  place.  And  now  I  had  only  to  wait 
for  a  night  that  should  be  dark,  yet  clear,  so  that 
I  could  guide  my  course  by  the  stars.  While  I 
waited,  how  often  and  how  wistfully  I  gazed  across 
those  miles  of  water  at  the  faint  blue-green  line 
that  I  knew  meant  the  mainland  and  freedom,  if 
I  could  once  touch  it ! 

The  night  I  looked  for  came  at  last ;  I  knew  the 
weather  signs,  and  made  my  preparations  while 
it  grew  dark.  I  had  ground  my  table  knife  —  my 
only  weapon  —  upon  a  stone,  until  the  rounded  tip 
was  worn  off  into  a  sharp  point,  making  it  a  rather 
formidable  instrument  for  either  attack  or  defence 
at  close  quarters.  I  tied  the  knife  securely  with 
a  small  vine,  and  fastened  the  other  end  of  the  vine 
around  my  waist  beneath  my  clothes,  leaving  some 
five  feet  of  loose  vine,  so  that  I  could  use  it  freely, 
or  even  drop  it,  without  danger  of  losing  it.  The 
knife  and  the  loose  part  of  the  vine  were  thrust 
inside  my  shirt.  I  left  my  coat  in  the  hut,  carried 
the  rest  of  the  vines  in  my  hand,  and  started  for 
the  shore  as  soon  as  it  was  dark  enough  to  conceal 
my  movements ;  and  though  I  had  no  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  I  was  watched,  I  went  cautiously,  and  by 
a  circuitous  route,  to  the  place  where  I  had  hidden 
my  two  precious  rails.  I  was  immensely  relieved 
to  find  them  undisturbed,  for  there  was  always  the 


A  First  Attempt — and  Faihire  57 

possibility  that  some  one  might  stumble  upon 
them ;  and  their  mere  presence  in  such  a  place 
would  have  aroused  suspicion. 

Each  rail  was  a  chestnut  log,  about  four 
inches  in  diameter,  stripped  of  the  bark,  and  well 
dried  and  seasoned  by  years  of  exposure  to  the 
weather.  My  first  task  was  to  connect  them  at 
the  ends  by  strong  pieces  of  vine,  so  that  they  lay 
half  a  yard  apart ;  after  this  I  placed  them  close 
together,  and  tied  them  fast  in  another  place  by 
fresh  pieces  of  vine.  The  rest  of  my  vines  I  fast- 
ened on  the  logs  securely,  for  use  in  case  one  of 
my  bindings  should  break.  I  proposed  to  use  the 
rails  as  a  certain  means  of  support  when  neces- 
sary, swimming  with  only  one  arm,  while  the  other 
clung  to  the  rails.  In  case  I  became  exhausted, 
a  few  strokes  of  the  knife  would  sever  the  second 
set  of  bindings;.!  would  then  slip  between  the 
rails,  with  an  arm  over  each,  and  float  quietly  until 
strength  returned,  the  first  set  of  bindings  holding 
the  rails  together  at  a  convenient  distance.  I  kept 
on  my  shirt  and  trousers,  but  tied  my  shoes  fast 
to  the  tiny  raft. 

It  must  have  been  about  nine  o'clock  when  I 
carried  the  rails  down  the  beach  and  waded  noise- 
lessly into  the  quiet  water.  There  had  been  little 
wind  all  day ;  there  was  hardly  a  ripple  on  the 


$8  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

face  of  the  sound  :  only  a  slight  short  swell  of  the 
tide,  that  was  more  restful  than  otherwise,  and  did 
not  obstruct  my  progress  in  the  least.  It  was 
with  a  feeling  of  great  thankfulness  and  as  great 
elation  that  I  finally  bent  forward  and  struck  out 
for  freedom.  I  had  at  least  seven  hours  before 
me  in  which  to  reach  the  farther  shore  before  the 
dawn  would  give  my  captors  opportunity  to  see 
me ;  and,  even  if  I  should  not  have  quite  attained 
my  goal,  the  chance  of  spying  a  man's  head  on 
that  great  bay  was  a  remote  one.  If  I  ever  suc- 
ceeded in  touching  the  shore,  I  had  perfect  confi- 
dence in  my  ability  to  take  care  of  myself  against 
any  odds  the  islanders  could  bring. 

I  had  resolved  not  to  hurry  for  some  hours ;  it 
seemed  better  to  husband  my  strength  until  the 
last,  so  that  if  I  had  not  yet  reached  the  shore 
when  the  day  broke,  and  if  the  pursuers  caught 
sight  of  me,  I  should  still  be  able  to  make  a  dash 
for  liberty.  So  I  swam  on  at  a  moderate  pace  for 
more  than  an  hour,  as  nearly  as  I  could  judge, 
much  pleased  to  find  that  the  trouble  of  towing 
the  rails  caused  neither  such  hindrance  nor  such 
delay  as  I  had  expected.  From  time  to  time  I 
relaxed  my  muscles  by  turning  on  my  back.  In 
this  position  I  could  see  the  stars,  my  only  guides, 
even  better  than  before ;  and  as  I  moved  slowly 


A  First  Attempt  —  and  Failure  59 

forward,  they  seemed  like  kindly  eyes  watching 
the  progress  of  a  tiny  atom  in  a  waste  of  water. 
They  sent  me  the  first  friendly  glances  I  had  seen 
for  months,  for  during  my  captivity  they  had  only 
mocked  me ;  and  I  blessed  them  as  much  for  their 
kindly  aspect  as  for  guiding  me  so  certainly. 

After  some  time,  however,  a  slight  breeze  arose, 
and  swept  the  water  into  a  series  of  ripples  and 
slight  swells  that  washed  over  my  face,  and  made 
swimming  in  this  position  not  nearly  so  pleasant, 
though  it  did  not  interfere  with  my  progress.  At 
last,  the  monotony  of  the  motion  and  the  sound  of 
the  little  waves  threw  me  into  a  dreamy  state  in 
which  I  almost  ceased  to  think,  but  swam  on 
steadily  and  mechanically,  careless  of  the  things 
that  were  past,  or  of  the  things  that  were  to 
come. 

Suddenly  I  roused  from  this  state  with  a  start, 
for  a  sound  came  to  my  ears  that  was  different 
from  the  regular  plash  of  the  waters.  I  stopped 
swimming  to  listen,  and  to  this  stopping  I  owed 
my  life ;  for,  a  moment  later,  a  mass  of  blackness 
shut  out  the  stars  from  my  view,  and  something 
heavy  and  solid  grazing  my  shoulder  with  great 
force,  drove  over  my  little  rails  with  a  crash  that 
seemed  to  fill  the  night.  The  blow  on  my  shoul- 
der numbed  my  arm  ;  the  rails  that  had  been  sup- 


60  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

porting  me  were  suddenly  driven  from  my  slight 
hold.  Instinctively  I  threw  up  my  other  arm  and 
grasped  wildly  at  the  thing  that  had  struck  me, 
caught  hold  of  something  that  yielded  under  my 
weight,  and  down  I  went  beneath  the  water. 

Such  a  mishap  is  nothing  to  a  swimmer ;  in  a 
few  seconds  I  returned  to  the  surface.  But  to  my 
intense  astonishment  the  stars  had  vanished,  and 
the  ripple  of  the  waters  sounded  afar  off.  I 
threw  out  both  hands,  and  both  touched  what  felt 
like  wood ;  I  raised  one  hand  over  my  head,  and 
feeling  the  same  substance  above  me,  I  realized 
instantly  what  had  happened.  A  heavy  dug-out 
canoe  had  been  driven  at  me  and  over  me ;  when 
I  grasped  the  edge  of  it,  the  thing  overturned, 
and  I  had  risen  beneath  it.  As  long  as  the  air 
lasted,  I  could  breathe  in  the  space  between  the 
bottom  of  the  overturned  boat  and  the  water  quite 
as  comfortably  as  outside. 

The  exact  state  of  affairs  flashed  upon  me  in  a 
moment.  My  escape  had  become  known ;  I  had 
been  followed ;  and  the  canoe  had  been  driven 
rapidly  forward  with  the  intention  of  striking  me 
on  the  head.  By  my  stopping  to  listen,  my  assail- 
ant had  missed  his  stroke,  though  my  bruised 
and  aching  shoulder  testified  to  the  substantial 
accuracy  of  his  aim.  I  had  no  doubt  as  to  his 


A  First  Attempt — and  Failure  6 1 

identity.     The  Master  could  not  follow  me  thus; 
the  negroes  would  not  dare. 

For  some  minutes  I  kept  perfectly  still,  revolv- 
ing plans  of  escape;  but  none  offered.  If  I 
should  be  discovered,  there  was  little  doubt  what 
my  fate  would  be,  alone  there  in  the  water  with 
a  single  man  whose  strength  was  fourfold  my 
own ;  with  my  bruised  shoulder  I  could  not  hope 
to  reach  either  shore,  and  a  successful  struggle 
for  the  possession  of  the  canoe  was  out  of  the 
question.  I  knew  Burton  must  be  swimming 
about  in  search  of  me,  if  by  any  chance  I  should 
rise  to  the  surface ;  so  the  minutes  dragged  slowly 
away,  until  at  length  I  felt  him  touch  the  canoe. 
Then  he  attempted  to  right  it,  and  for  a  moment 
I  held  it,  so  that  with  all  his  weight  it  could  not 
turn.  But  I  knew  that  contest  could  not  con- 
tinue, and  with  the  utmost  caution,  but  as  rapidly 
as  possible,  I  worked  my  way  along  until  my  head 
was  at  the  bow  of  the  canoe ;  and  then,  still  keep- 
ing hold  of  it,  I  let  myself  sink,  and  rose  noise- 
lessly on  the  outside.  I  could  see  him,  not  ten 
feet  away,  struggling  with  the  refractory  canoe, 
which  turned  over  easily  as  soon  as  I  released  my 
hold  on  its  sides.  He  had  a  paddle  in  his  hand 
which  he  tossed  into  the  canoe,  and  then  climbed 
in.  It  was  full  of  water,  but,  being  a  dug-out, 


62  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

and  some  three  inches  thick,  it  bore  him  bravely. 
The  ends  had  a  rise  of  more  than  a  foot  above 
the  midships,  which  concealed  my  head. 

I  glanced  around  for  some  sign  of  my  trusty 
rails,  which  I  knew  could  not  be  far  off ;  if  I 
could  have  found  them,  I  should  even  yet  have 
attempted  to  reach  the  mainland.  But  the  night 
was  too  dark ;  there  was  no  sign  of  them,  and  I 
dared  not  leave  the  shelter  of  the  canoe  to  search 
for  them.  Meanwhile,  Burton  was  industriously 
bailing  with  what  I  took  to  be  his  hat,  and  the 
canoe  began  gradually  to  rise  in  the  water.  This 
had  the  advantage  of  concealing  me  more  per- 
fectly, while  at  the  same  time  it  brought  the  crisis 
nearer ;  for  what  was  to  become  of  me  when  the 
canoe  was  clear,  and  he  started  homeward  ?  I 
knew  well  that  with  my  wounded  shoulder  I  could 
not  hope  to  swim  such  a  distance  —  about  two 
miles,  as  I  estimated  it. 

I  could  hear  his  monotonous  voice  grumbling 
and  swearing  at  the  accident  (as  he  plainly  be- 
lieved it)  that  had  upset  him,  and  at  the  slowness 
with  which  the  level  of  the  water  fell.  The  canoe 
was  still,  as  I  judged,  nearly  half  full,  when  sud- 
denly he  gave  a  loud  exclamation  of  disgust,  and, 
moving  to  the  other  end,  began  to  paddle.  And 
then  I  saw  how  my  enemy  was  to  be  made  the 


A  First  Attempt  —  and  Failure  63 

means  of  saving  me,  after  his  recent  attempt  at 
murder.  For,  with  the  canoe  half  full,  as  it  was, 
he  could  not  suspect  the  cause  of  some  extra  re- 
sistance to  his  progress,  as  he  must  inevitably 
have  done  if  he  had  stopped  to  empty  the  boat. 
I  had  only  to  cling  where  I  was,  and  make  him 
tow  —  or  rather  push  —  me  ashore. 

And  this  he  did,  grumbling  exceedingly  at  the 
labor  it  involved.  At  a  distance  from  shallow 
water  that  I  knew  I  could  cover  easily,  while  he 
paused  to  rest  his  overstrained  arms,  I  let  myself 
sink  and  swam  straight  away  beneath  the  water 
until  my  lungs  felt  ready  to  burst.  When  I  rose 
again,  I  could  make  out  my  enemy  and  his  canoe 
some  distance  away,  a  mere  indistinct  dark  mass 
against  the  lighter  horizon  and  the  sky.  So  I  felt 
mightily  relieved,  knowing  that  if  the  canoe  was 
so  nearly  hidden  from  me,  my  head  would  be 
quite  invisible  to  him,  for  I  was  careful  to  swim 
low  in  the  water. 

It  was  nearly  two  hours  later  that,  bruised  and 
weary,  I  reached  my  cabin.  I  was  footsore,  also, 
for  my  shoes  had  gone  with  the  lost  rails,  and 
shells  and  sand-burs  and  stiff  marsh-grass  make 
havoc  with  unaccustomed  feet.  I  threw  off  my 
wet  clothes  and  dropped  upon  the  bed  —  too 
nearly  exhausted  to  think  or  to  care  what  I 


64  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

should   do  on  the  morrow.      I  wanted  rest,  only 
rest! 

Burton  gave  me  a  curious,  startled  look  when 
he  met  me  the  next  day,  which  I  answered  with 
one  of  defiance.  But  he  said  not  a  word  as  to  the 
events  of  the  night  before ;  and  for  my  own  part 
I  concluded  that  if  he  was  willing  to  let  sleeping 
dogs  lie,  so  was  I.  I  hoped  for  better  luck  next 
time,  and  that  the  sleeping  dogs  would  continue 
to  sleep.  Although  I  was  quite  ready  to  under- 
take all  risks  that  might  be  necessary,  I  was  not 
desirous  of  incurring  any  more  than  must  be. 
My  first  attempt  had  proved  that  I  had  no  fools 
or  sluggards  opposing  me,  and  that  escape  was 
a  more  difficult  and  more  dangerous  proceeding 
than  I  had  counted  on.  Yet  it  seemed  to  me 
that  I  had  been  as  cautious  and  as  secret  as  any 
man  could  be. 


OUT   OF   THE   DEEP 

IN  my  survey  and  study  of  the  island  in  search 
of  chances  of  escape,  I  had  naturally  thought 
more  of  the  possibilities  to  the  westward,  across 
the  sound,  than  of  the  chances  to  seaward.  The 
route  by  the  sound  I  had  already  tried,  with  dis- 
astrous results,  it  is  true ;  yet  one  failure  did  not 
mean  utter  defeat,  and  I  had  not  abandoned  the 
hope  of  ultimately  making  my  escape  by  that 
route. 

To  go  by  sea  was  more  difficult.  Swimming 
was  out  of  the  question  for  such  a  distance ;  to 
escape  by  this  way  would  require  a  boat  and  some 
small  store  of  provision.  The  latter  I  was  certkin 
of  being  able  to  procure.  Indeed,  the  supply  of 
food  furnished  me  was  so  generous  that  I  need 
have  had  no  difficulty  in  saving  half  of  each  day's 
allowance,  while  still  making  ample  meals;  and 
a  few  days  of  such  saving  would  have  seen  me 
plentifully  supplied.  But  the  boat  —  there  was 
the  rub !  Try  as  I  would  (and  I  racked  my 
F  65 


66  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

brains  with  the  problem  day  after  day)  I  could 
devise  no  means  of  coming  at  one.  There  was 
more  than  a  sufficient  supply  close  at  hand,  of  all 
sorts,  from  the  twenty-ton  sloop  lying  idly  at  the 
wharf  down  to  the  lightest  canoe ;  but  as  far  as 
I  was  concerned  they  might  as  well  never  have 
been  built.  I  knew  very  well  that  every  one  of 
them  that  I  could  possibly  handle  alone  was 
guarded  night  and  day.  The  lighter  ones,  in  fact, 
were  kept  in  a  boat-house  under  lock  and  key,  as 
well  as  under  guard. 

Though  no  scheme  suggested  itself  whereby  I 
could  get  one  of  them,  I  clung  to  the  idea  that, 
sooner  or  later,  my  chance  would  come.  I  simply 
could  not  force  myself  to  believe  that  these  peo- 
ple could  allow  me  to  roam  the  island  at  will,  and 
yet  be  able  to  confine  me  to  it  for  an  indefinite 
length  of  time.  The  chapter  of  accidents  is  a 
long  one.  Whatever  precautions  they  might  take, 
there  must  surely  come  a  time  when  some  lucky 
chance,  or  some  oversight  of  theirs,  would  place 
the  means  of  escape  in  my  hands.  At  least,  so  I 
firmly  believed. 

Meanwhile,  it  behooved  me  to  neglect  no  point 
of  knowledge  of  the  locality  that  might  be  of  use 
in  helping  that  chance  forward.  Though  I  ex- 
pected help  of  some  kind,  I  could  not  guess  from 


Out  of  the  Deep  67 

which  side  it  might  come.  Hitherto  I  had  devoted 
most  of  my  time  to  the  western  shore,  along  the 
sound,  and  I  had  learned  it  pretty  thoroughly. 
Now  I  began  to  study  the  seaward  side  with  equal 
care,  beginning  at  the  southern  point  (since  Cape 
Charles,  toward  which  I  had  been  travelling  when 
I  fell  into  my  great  misfortune,  lay  in  that  direc- 
tion) and  gradually  working  northward. 

During  my  study  of  this  coast,  too,  I  often 
caught  sight  of  men  who  were  evidently  watching 
me ;  but  I  had  now  grown  so  used  to  this  con- 
stant surveillance  that  it  had  almost  ceased  to 
annoy  me,  and  I  paid  little  attention  to  it.  Some- 
times the  spy  was  Burton,  sometimes  one  of  the 
negroes.  They  took  slight  pains  to  conceal  them- 
selves or  their  purpose ;  but  they  never  intruded 
upon  my  loneliness,  nor  thrust  themselves  upon 
my  attention,  so  that,  for  the  most  part,  I  en- 
tirely forgot  their  presence.  Thus  I  spent  the 
best  part  of  a  week  studying  the  peculiarities  of 
the  east  coast,  and  so  impressed  them  upon  my 
mind  that  I  could  have  drawn  an  accurate  map  of 
the  whole  shore  in  a  few  moments.  No  unusual 
incident  disturbed  me  until  I  had  come  to  within 
half  a  mile  of  the  northern  point,  where  a  sand-bar 
ran  out  seaward  a  few  hundred  yards  at  right 
angles  to  the  shore  line. 


68  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

Nearing  this  one  morning,  my  attention  was 
drawn  to  a  slight  depression  in  the  sand,  some 
fifty  feet  wide,  and  running  back  nearly  to  the 
line  of  the  dunes.  It  was  a  very  slight  depres- 
sion, of  no  seeming  importance,  except  that  the 
sand  seemed  to  be  somewhat  finer  ground  than 
along  the  rest  of  the  beach  ;  but  it  was  rendered 
noticeable  by  the  fact  that  the  footprints  of  some 
late  passer  turned  aside  on  meeting  it,  and  skirted 
the  edge  of  the  higher  part,  instead  of  crossing  it. 
At  sight  of  this  I  stopped  to  gaze  at  the  tracks, 
wondering  why  they  should  change  direction,  until 
it  suddenly  struck  me  that  the  maker  of  those 
tracks  had  probably  approached  the  dune  in  order 
to  pick  up  something,  —  a  shell,  a  stone,  perhaps 
a  piece  of  driftwood.  So,  smiling  at  my  own 
stupidity,  I  walked  rapidly  forward  in  the  line  I 
had  been  following,  close  to  the  edge  of  the  water. 

For  a  few  steps  all  went  well  enough.  I  no- 
ticed that  my  feet  sank  deeply  into  the  moist  sand, 
so  deeply,  in  fact,  that  it  made  each  step  more 
difficult  than  the  last.  Each  time  I  raised  a  foot, 
the  motion  seemed  to  sink  the  other  one  deeper 
than  the  first,  until,  when  I  was  almost  exactly 
halfway  across,  I  suddenly  realized  that  I  was 
utterly  powerless  to  extricate  the  last  foot  I  had 
put  down.  A  little  irritated,  somewhat  amused 


Out  of  the  Deep  69 

at  my  predicament,  but  still  not  at  all  alarmed, 
I  pressed  the  other  foot  deeper  into  the  sand  in 
search  of  the  firm  ground  I  felt  sure  must  be 
somewhere  beneath  me.  It  went  down  easily  six 
inches  deeper  than  I  had  yet  reached  —  and  stuck 
there. 

This  was  serious.  I  had  not  even  a  staff  on 
which  to  throw  my  weight  while  I  raised  myself. 
I  stooped,  and  pressed  my  hands  against  the  sur- 
face, hoping  to  support  part  of  my  weight  on 
them  while  I  withdrew  my  feet,  for  I  believed 
that  if  I  could  get  one  foot  to  the  surface,  the 
other  one  must  follow.  But  my  hands  helped  me 
not  a  whit ;  indeed,  they  sank  into  the  yielding 
sand  as  easily  as  my  feet  had  done.  I  withdrew 
them,  and  even  that  slight  motion  seemed  to 
plunge  my  legs  deeper.  I  was  already  sunk  for 
some  little  distance  above  my  knees. 

I  began  to  feel  a  vague  disquietude,  though  I 
was  still  far  from  realizing  the  full  peril  of  the 
situation.  It  was  awkward  and  stupid  to  let  my- 
self be  so  caught,  but  I  knew  that  one  of  my 
guardians  (as  I  was  in  the  habit  of  calling  them 
to  myself),  some  one  of  my  watchers,  must  be 
near,  and  he  would  either  pull  me  out  or  tell 
me  what  to  do  to  help  myself. 

I  called,  and  called  again,  but  heard  no  answer ; 


70  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

then  I  shouted  loudly :  still  no  response.  After 
keeping  this  up  until  I  began  to  grow  hoarse,  I 
decided  to  desist ;  I  should  surely  be  missed,  and 
search  for  me  would  be  begun  immediately,  I 
knew.  I  was  entirely  too  prized  a  possession  to 
be  lost.  Even  the  fact  of  my  position  as  a  captive 
began  to  have  a  certain  value  just  now ;  all  I  had 
to  do  was  to  keep  quiet  and  wait  with  what 
patience  I  could  muster;  it  would  be  tiresome, 
but  it  was  the  only  sensible  (or  possible)  thing 
to  do. 

Thus  I  reasoned,  foolishly. 

And  then,  looking  downward,  I  saw  that  during 
those  few  minutes  I  had  sunk  six  inches  deeper, 
and  it  suddenly  dawned  on  me  what  the  matter 
was. 

For  a  moment  the  thought  was  so  appalling  that 
I  could  only  gasp ;  then  a  mighty  terror  rushed 
over  me  like  a  strong  tide,  and  awful  shudders 
rent  me,  and  left  me  weak.  I  knew  my  situation 
and  its  hopelessness  unless  help  came  quickly. 
It  was  my  first  experience  with  quicksand,  but 
I  knew  well  enough  what  to  expect ;  whether  I 
struggled  or  not,  a  slow  sinking  into  its  horrible 
maw,  inch  by  inch,  until  it  should  reach  my  chin, 
my  mouth,  my  nostrils,  and  then  —  one  last  awful 
choking  effort  for  breath.  For  a  few  moments 


Out  of  the  Deep  ^\ 

more  two  dreadful  staring  eyes  would  gaze  above 
the  surface,  and  then  oblivion,  complete  oblitera- 
tion from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

I  looked  around  despairingly.  The  sun  shone 
brightly;  the  surf  rolled  in  without  ceasing,  and 
broke  placidly  within  a  few  yards  of  me;  some 
gray-backed  gulls  chased  one  another  in  play 
close  by  my  head.  Did  they  know  already  that 
they  had  nothing  to  fear  from  me  ?  Everything 
spoke  of  life  and  the  joy  of  living,  except  to  me. 
To  die  ;  to  die  thus,  watching  slow  death  crawling 
remorselessly  up  from  feet  to  head,  inch  by  inch ; 
to  measure  its  approach  almost  to  the  second, 
looking  forward  always  to  the  terrible,  slow  suffo- 
cation at  the  last!  I  had  the  fantastic  notion  that 
my  feet  and  legs  were  already  dead,  and  I  seemed 
to  feel  dissolution  creeping  upward. 

"  Oh,  my  God,  is  there  no  help  ?  "  I  cried,  turn- 
ing my  face  toward  the  sky,  as  though  the  days  of 
miracles  had  not  ended  ages  ago.  I  looked  for 
none,  yet  my  involuntary  exclamation  was  natural 
enough. 

"  None  !  "  said  a  quiet  voice  near  by. 

I  gave  a  great  start,  and  a  shout  of  relief,  in 
spite  of  the  word,  and  turned  my  head  in  the 
direction  of  the  sound. 

He   was   sitting   on   the   sand,    with    his   back 


72  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

against  the  dune,  eying  me  curiously :  my  watcher, 
my  jailer,  my  enemy,  my  would-be  assassin  —  Bur- 
ton. How  long  he  had  been  there,  I  could  not 
guess ;  perhaps  almost  from  the  moment  I  was 
securely  caught. 

"  Are  you  enjoying  yourself  ? "  he  inquired, 
after  some  moments,  during  which  I  had  been 
gazing  at  him  in  astonishment. 

"  Enjoying  myself !  Man,  don't  you  see  what 
danger  I  am  in  ?  Help  me  out  of  this,  and  I 
shall  be  eternally  grateful  to  you." 

"  —  because  I  am ! "  he  went  on,  as  though  I 
had  not  spoken. 

"  You  are  —  what  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Enjoying  myself,"  he  returned. 

"  How  ? " 

"  Watching  you  struggle,"  he  answered.  "  It  is 
many  years  since  I  have  seen  anything  that  gave 
me  so  much  pleasure." 

"  I  am  glad  that  I  have  been  able  to  afford  you 
some  entertainment,"  I  said  ironically.  "  But 
don't  you  think  the  thing  has  gone  far  enough, 
now  ?  If  I  sink  much  deeper,  I  fear  I  shall  be 
past  helping." 

"  I  am  entirely  of  your  opinion,"  he  remarked 
coolly.  "  I  think  another  foot  will  make  it  inevi- 
table." 


Out  of  the  Deep  73 

He  seemed  to  measure  the  distance  from  the 
surface  of  the  sand  to  the  top  of  my  head. 

"  Well,  it  won't  take  long  to  sink  that  much,  if 
it  keeps  up  as  at  present,"  I  said.  "  So  hurry  up, 
and  get  some  planks,  or  a  rope  —  unless  you  know 
some  way  of  getting  me  out  without  them." 

"  Getting  you  out !  "  he  shouted,  in  apparent 
astonishment.  "  Getting  you  out?  " 

"  Yes,  of  course ;  you  don't  suppose  I  want  to 
stay  in  this  horrible  place,  do  you  ?  " 

"  Getting  you  out  ?  "  he  repeated.  "  Who  said 
anything  about  getting  you  out  ?  " 

"  Confound  you !  "  I  cried.  "  Don't  you  see  how 
fast  I  am  sinking  ?  Throw  me  something  that 
will  bear  my  weight !  " 

He  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket,  and  drew  out  a 
pipe  and  some  leaves  of  tobacco. 

"  Yes,  I  see  how  fast  you  are  sinking,"  he  said, 
beginning  to  crumble  the  tobacco  between  his 
hands.  "  You  are  going  down  at  about  the  rate 
of  an  inch  a  minute,  I  should  judge.  That  will 
allow  us  about  half  an  hour  of  conversation  before 
you  disappear  for  good  and  all." 

He  produced  a  tinder-box,  and  proceeded  to 
procure  a  light  for  his  pipe. 

"This  may  be  your  idea  of  a  joke,"  I  cried  an- 
grily ;  "  but  it  is  a  very  poor  one,  and  it  has  gone 


74  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

far  enough.  Get  some  means  of  lifting  me  out  of 
this !  " 

"  Now,  what  sort  of  an  idiot  are  you,  I  won- 
der?" he  remarked,  after  a  few  meditative  puffs. 
"  Is  it  possible  that  you  really  expect  me  to  assist 
you  —  you  !  —  out  of  the  trap  into  which  you  have 
so  obligingly  walked  ? " 

"  Of  course  I  do !  "  I  shouted  ;  "  and  quickly, 
too !  " 

"  How  prone  to  error  are  the  young  and  impul- 
sive !  "  he  mused  aloud.  "  Now  I  knew  that  you 
were  a  very  foolish  young  man,  or  you  would 
never  have  come  to  seek  us  on  this  island,  know- 
ing how  much  reason  we  had  for  suppressing  any 
one  who  attempted  to  pry  into  our  affairs  and 
what  happened  thirty  years  ago.  Why  could 
you  not  let  sleeping  dogs  lie,  after  they  had  slept 
so  long  ?  .  .  .  And  I  knew  that  you  were  impul- 
sive, else  you  would  not  have  walked  into  the 
middle  of  a  quicksand,  when  it  lay  right  before  you 
so  plainly  that  you  could  not  have  helped  seeing 
it ;  in  fact,  I  saw  you  stop  and  inspect  it  carefully 
before  you  measured  its  strength  against  yours. 
I  hope  your  curiosity  is  satisfied  now  ?  If  not,  it 
will  be  before  long."  He  laughed.  "  But  to 
really  expect  that  /  should  help  you  out  of  it! 
Alas  !  alas !  My  opinion  of  your  common  sense 


Out  of  the  Deep  75 

has  lowered  considerably  during  the  last  ten  min- 
utes, Mr.  Darke." 

He  seemed  truly  sorry  for  me,  as  he  said.  It 
angered  me  intensely,  being  in  no  mood  for 
jesting. 

"  I  don't  care  a  stiver  what  your  opinion  of  me 
may  be  !  "  I  shouted  furiously.  "  But  you  had 
better  help  me  quickly  —  unless  you  want  to 
murder  me." 

"  Murder  you  ?  Oh,  no ;  I  assure  you  I  would 
not  lay  a  hand  on  you  now  for  any  consideration," 
he  laughed.  "If  you  had  not  chosen  this  very 
convenient  way  of  disposing  of  yourself,  very 
probably  I  should  have  murdered  you  sooner  or 
later.  The  flesh  is  weak,  and  the  temptation 
has  been  very  great.  But  as  it  is,  I  am  more 
than  satisfied  to  have  you  take  the  matter  out 
of  my  hands,  and  to  interfere  with  your  very 
complete  arrangements  is  the  last  thing  I  would 
think  of.  Besides,  it  saves  me  a  great  deal  of 
trouble." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  are  not  going  to 
help  me  ? "  I  exclaimed  at  last  incredulously. 

He  nodded  gravely.  "  Your  perception  of  the 
realities  of  life  is  vastly  quickened  by  your  situa- 
tion," he  observed,  waving  his  pipe  oratorically. 
"But  it  has  taken  so  much  time  and  trouble  to 


76  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

infuse  that  one  fact  into  your  consciousness  that 
I  am  sincerely  thankful  I  shall  never  be  obliged 
to  force  another  one  on  you.  You  are  nearly 
done  with  facts  now;  in  less  than  half  an  hour 
more  you  will  cease  to  be  a  fact  yourself,  and 
will  be  merely  a  memory.  A  memory  that  all 
of  us  will  be  heartily  glad  to  be  rid  of,"  he 
snarled,  with  a  sudden  break  in  his  sneering 
temper. 

"Do  you  really  mean  what  you  say?"  I  de- 
manded again,  unable  to  believe  at  first. 

"  Are  you  to  disappoint  me  even  at  the  last, 
most  unreasonable  creature  ? "  he  said,  recovering 
his  temper  quickly.  "  I  thought  you  had  taken 
the  statement  to  heart !  Know,  then,  that  I  mean 
every  word  I  have  said !  I  have  not  the  slightest 
intention  of  assisting  you ;  on  the  contrary,  I 
would  willingly  push  you  deeper,  if  there  was 
any  possibility  of  your  escape,  though  I  am  not 
at  all  anxious  to  hasten  your  exit  now.  The 
longer  the  time  you  spend  at  it,  the  more  enter- 
tainment you  will  afford  me."  I  looked  down ; 
the  sand  was  about  my  hips.  "Yes,  it  is  creep- 
ing up,"  he  proceeded,  as  he  noticed  my  glance. 
"  Half  an  hour  more,  at  the  most.  We  will  keep 
this  last  vigil  together;  all  the  rest  of  my  life  it 
will  be  a  pleasure  to  me  to  think  of  it." 


Out  of  the  Deep  77 

He  meant  all  of  it ;  I  was  forced  to  believe 
him.  My  head  drooped,  and  I  gave  way  to 
despair  —  all  the  greater  for  my  late  hope  —  so 
sudden,  so  crushing,  that  it  took  away  all  power 
of  thought :  I  could  not  even  pray.  Yet  all  the 
while  the  voice  of  my  enemy  came  to  my  ears, 
and  held  my  attention,  to  the  exclusion  of  every 
other  thing.  As  in  a  dreadful  dream  I  heard  him 
pursuing  his  fiendish  monologue. 

"  I  have  hated  you  from  the  first  time  I  saw 
you.  No  doubt  you  knew  that.  Even  your  un- 
usual stupidity  could  not  avoid  recognizing  the 
fact.  I  would  have  hated  you  before  you  were 
born,  if  I  had  been  aware  of  such  a  possibility. 
Perhaps  you  do  not  know  what  it  is  to  hate  any 
one  as  I  do  you  ?  I  assure  you  it  is  a  most 
enjoyable  sensation,  especially  at  a  time  when 
one  holds  the  object  of  it  in  one's  power,  or 
sees  him  hurried  forward,  without  a  chance  of 
resistance,  toward  a  fearful  death.  It  adds  spice 
to  one's  life,  and  makes  it  worth  while  to  live, 
in  spite  of  life's  many  troubles.  I  have  longed 
for  your  death  unceasingly,  and  I  have  wasted 
many  valuable  hours  in  planning  to  bring  it 
about.  Once  I  nearly  accomplished  it,  -as  you 
know.  I  cannot  account  for  my  failure  that  time, 
nor  for  your  escape  afterward  ;  I  must  have  been 


78  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

abominably  clumsy  to  have  allowed  it.  This  time 
I  shall  not  leave  you  until  I  see  that  the  end  has 
come.  However,  all's  well  that  ends  well,  and 
your  end  will  be  —  " 

His  voice  ceased  abruptly ;  I  waited  in  a  sort 
of  lethargy  for  him  to  continue.  Several  minutes 
passed  in  silence,  and  finally  I  raised  my  head  to 
look  toward  him.  To  my  intense  surprise  he  was 
gone,  vanished,  disappeared  utterly,  as  though  the 
quicksand  had  seized  him,  too.  Yet  he  had  dis- 
tinctly announced  his  intention  of  watching  my 
body  disappear  in  the  clinging  sand  that  clasped 
me  so  lovingly  and  grasped  me  so  hungrily. 

For  a  moment  I  was  dumfounded  at  his  sudden 
disappearance ;  then  remembering  his  intention  of 
staying  to  gloat  over  my  dying  struggles,  I  looked 
about  to  discover  the  cause  of  his  flight.  And 
there,  just  turning  the  point  of  the  cape,  half  a 
mile  above  me,  I  saw  a  light  canoe  that  I  recog- 
nized as  one  in  which  I  had  often  seen  My  Lady 
paddling  about  the  quiet  waters  of  the  sound.  I 
knew  the  occupant  could  be  none  other  than  My 
Lady  herself.  I  had  never  before  seen  her  ven- 
ture out  into  the  open  water,  but  to-day  the  off- 
shore wind  had  made  the  ocean  almost  as  still  as 
the  waters  of  the  sound. 

My  heart  stood  still  while  I  waited.     She  was 


Out  of  the  Deep  79 

heading  straight  out  to  sea,  but  I  knew  she  would 
not  venture  far  in  that  direction.  If  she  should 
turn  northward,  toward  the  distant  mainland,  I  was 
surely  doomed ;  if  southward,  along  the  coast,  as 
seemed  most  likely,  there  was  a  chance  for  me,  if 
she  could  summon  help  in  time.  A  minute  —  two 
minutes  —  (it  was  agony  to  wait  thus),  then,  at 
length,  she  turned  —  southward. 

I  snatched  my  cap  from  my  head  and  waved  it 
wildly,  and  shouted  with  all  my  might;  but  she 
neither  saw  nor  heard,  though  she  continued  to 
approach.  The  wind  carried  my  voice  away  from 
her.  Halfway  —  three-quarters  —  she  was  hardly 
more  than  two  hundred  yards  away  now,  and 
nearly  opposite  the  spot  where  I  was  fast  bound. 
If  she  should  pass,  good-by  to  the  world! 

I  tore  off  my  coat,  and  waved  that,  and  shouted 
wildly.  Every  motion  sank  me  a  little  deeper  into 
the  horrible  sand;  but  it  was  as  well  to  risk  all. 
If  she  passed  by,  the  sooner  I  was  sucked  down 
the  better. 

"  Help  !  "  I  shouted.     "  Help  !  " 

The  wind  was  in  my  favor  now,  and  she  heard. 
I  saw  her  lift  her  head  and  gaze  about  her. 
Again  I  shouted  and  waved  the  coat. 

She  hesitated,  and  no  wonder.  She  was  alone 
and  unprotected ;  doubtless  she  feared  some  trick 


8o  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

on  the  part  of  a  desperate  man.  But  at  last  she 
turned  the  canoe,  and  approached  the  shore  slowly, 
frequently  letting  the  boat  drift  while  she  regarded 
me  inquiringly.  I  was  sunk  nearly  to  the  waist 
by  this  time,  and  must  have  appeared  to  be  sitting 
on  the  sand. 

"  Help  !  I  am  caught  in  the  quicksand !  "  I 
called,  when  she  was  near  enough  to  catch  my 
voice  distinctly. 

Ah!  She  understood  now;  she  had  forgotten 
the  very  existence  of  the  treacherous  spot. 

In  a  moment  I  saw  her  paddle  dip  deep  in  the 
water ;  the  canoe  fairly  leaped  forward  ;  it  skimmed 
over  the  slow  swell  like  the  flight  of  a  great  gull. 
She  must  have  known  the  exact  location  of  the 
quicksand,  for  she  drove  her  canoe  close  to  the 
edge  of  it.  There  was  but  a  little  surf,  and  in 
a  moment  she  was  through  this,  and  had  leaped 
out. 

"Keep  still!     Do  not  struggle!"   she  cried  — 
a  very  easy  direction  to  give,  but  one  very  hard  to 
obey  in  such  a  situation. 

I  saw  her  bend  over  the  bow,  and  work  with 
something,  while  I  waited  impatiently.  She  turned, 
and  I  saw  she  had  stopped  to  untie  the  long  light 
anchor-line  from  the  boat,  and  was  carrying  it  and 
the  anchor. 


Out  of  the  Deep  81 

"Call  for  help,  My  Lady,"  I  said;  "you  cannot 
pull  me  out  alone." 

She  paid  no  attention  to  my  words.  Rap- 
idly looking  about  for  a  good  vantage  ground, 
or  some  assistance  in  the  task,  she  spied  a  stout 
beam  sticking  out  of  the  sand  a  dozen  paces  nearer 
the  dune  than  where  she  stood.  It  had  once  served 
as  the  rib  of  a  good  ship  that  had  gone  ashore  by 
this  bar.  My  Lady  hastily  made  fast  the  anchor 
end  of  the  line  to  this  useful  mooring,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  tie  the  loose  end  to  a  bit  of  iron  she 
fetched  from  the  canoe.  Next  she  coiled  the  rope 
loosely  about  her  elbow.  Then  her  right  hand 
swung  back  with  a  grand  motion,  swung  forward, 
and  the  iron  weight  dropped  in  the  sand  within 
easy  reach  of  me,  and  began  to  sink  immediately. 
The  thing  must  have  weighed  ten  pounds,  yet 
she  tossed  it  almost  as  lightly  as  a  pebble,  so 
strong  was  she  by  nature's  gift,  so  greatly  was 
that  strength  increased  by  excitement.  I  clutched 
the  line  instantly  and  felt  almost  safe. 

"  Fasten  the  rope  around  you,  beneath  your 
arms,"  she  commanded.  "  Then  throw  the  weight 
over  to  catch  and  hold  it  securely." 

I  obeyed  without  questioning,  though  I  protested. 

"  You  can  never  pull  me  out  alone ;  call  for 
help,  I  beg!" 


82  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"There  is  no  help  near,"  she  replied  hurriedly; 
still,  she  blew  her  little  ivory  whistle.  I  knew 
that  Burton  was  close  by ;  he  would  surely  answer 
her  call,  I  thought,  and  when  he  came  he  was 
bound  to  assist  My  Lady,  however  much  against 
his  will. 

She  drew  the  end  of  the  line  about  the  beam, 
until  the  rope  was  stretched  taut. 

"  Do  not  try  it  alone,  My  Lady,"  I  begged. 
"You  can  never  do  it,  and  you  will  surely  hurt 
yourself.  Call  for  help  !  " 

"What  will  be,  will  be,"  she  replied,  very  qui- 
etly. "  If  I  cannot  do  it,  it  will  never  be  done." 
She  blew  one  more  blast,  and  grasped  the  rope 
with  both  hands.  "  There  is  no  help  near,  and 
no  time  to  go  for  it ;  even  now  it  may  be  too  late. 
Lean  well  forward ;  fall  on  your  face,  if  you  can. 
Move  gently,  and  try  to  keep  the  sand  stirring 
about  you,  but  do  not  try  to  raise  yourself  just 
yet.  I  will  stir  you  first." 

She  dug  her  heels  deep  into  the  sand  of  the 
beach,  and  pulled,  not  suddenly,  but  with  a  steady 
pressure  of  marvellous  power  for  a  woman.  As 
she  pulled,  she  threw  herself  about  the  beam 
(which  held  like  a  rock),  thus  taking  in  the  slack 
of  the  rope.  I  leaned  forward,  as  she  bade  me ; 
indeed,  with  the  strain  brought  to  bear  on  me, 


83 

I  could  do  no  less.  I  wriggled  and  squirmed  like 
a  gigantic  worm ;  I  could  feel  the  sand  moving 
about  me,  but  I  could  feel  no  lift  out  of  the. 
slough.  My  face  was  down  close  to  the  sand, 
and  I  could  see  nothing  else.  When  no  more 
could  be  gained  in  this  way,  she  rested,  securing 
the  rope  firmly. 

Suddenly  My  Lady's  voice  rang  out,  — 

"  Take  hold  of  the  rope  and  pull !  " 

I  pulled  with  all  my  might.  Would  the  cling- 
ing stuff  never  give  way  ?  I  felt  the  quicksand 
flowing  about  me  while  I  pulled,  with  closed  eyes, 
my  whole  mind  and  strength  devoted  to  the  one 
purpose,  my  muscles  stretched  almost  to  the 
breaking  point.  And  then,  suddenly,  without  a 
moment's  warning,  the  world  seemed  to  sink  be- 
neath me,  and  I  found  myself  lying  panting,  ex- 
hausted, on  the  surface  of  the  quicksand. 

"  Do  not  move !  "  gasped  a  breathless  voice,  and 
then  I  felt  myself  dragged  slowly  across  the  few 
yards  of  soft,  quivering  surface.  But  this  task  was 
clearly  beyond  even  My  Lady's  great  strength. 
So,  whipping  the  line  about  the  post  until  it  was 
again  taut,  and  commanding  me  to  lie  quietly 
stretched  out  as  I  was,  she  ran  swiftly  to  the 
canoe,  and  taking  thence  a  large  blanket  which 
she  had  used  as  a  cushion,  she  ventured  into  the 


84  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

edge  of  the  quicksands.  There  was  now  left  be- 
tween us  but  a  few  feet  of  space,  so  that  the 
blanket  flung  out  on  the  damp  sand  reached 
nearly  to  my  head.  One  mighty  pull  on  the  line 
sufficed  to  place  me  on  the  covering,  and  from 
that  point  I  crawled  swiftly  to  the  hard  sand. 

For  some  moments  I  lay  there  motionless,  wait- 
ing for  life  to  flow  back  to  my  cramped  and 
strained  muscles.  The  reaction  of  the  nervous 
strain  increased  my  weakness,  and  at  first  I  was 
absolutely  unable  to  move.  Finally  I  raised  my 
head,  and  the  first  thing  my  eyes  encountered  was 
My  Lady  sitting  on  the  sand,  leaning  on  one 
hand,  while  the  other  was  pressed  over  her  heart. 
The  sight  helped  my  recovery  marvellously,  and  I 
managed  to  drag  myself  to  her. 

"  Are  you  hurt,  My  Lady  ? "  I  asked,  with  more 
real  anxiety  than,  two  months  ago,  I  would  have 
believed  it  possible  for  me  to  feel  for  one  of  her 
race. 

She  shook  her  head,  and  waved  me  away  impa- 
tiently. She  seemed  to  need  only  time  to  get  her 
breath.  I  staggered  to  the  water,  and  bringing 
back  a  capful,  set  it  before  her.  She  dipped  her 
hand  into  it  and  cooled  her  face.  There  was  no 
drinking  water  within  a  mile  of  us,  I  knew  well. 
I  sank  down  near  her  until  I  saw  she  was  nearly 


Out  of  the  Deep  85 

recovered ;  then  it  seemed  time  to  speak,  though 
it  was  difficult  to  find  words  meet  for  the  occasion. 

"You  have  saved  my  life,  My  Lady,"  I  said, 
"  and  I  owe  you  more  gratitude  than  I  can  either 
express  or  repay  in  a  lifetime.  I  would  not  have 
believed  any  single  man,  to  say  nothing  of  a 
woman,  could  have  rescued  me." 

"  It  is  nothing,"  she  said  coldly.  "  I  am  strong, 
and  you  did  much  when  once  I  had  the  line 
firmly  about  that  piece  of  driftwood.  I  would 
have  done  as  much  for  a  stranger,  or  for  one  of 
the  slaves." 

"  Rather,  I  have  no  doubt,"  I  returned,  some- 
what nettled  by  her  ungracious  manner,  which 
seemed  to  me  uncalled  for  just  then.  "  Still,  you 
have  my  sincere  gratitude,  and  I  hope  to  be  able 
to  prove  it  some  day." 

"  Since  you  have  thrust  yourself  —  and  unknown 
troubles  with  you  —  in  among  us,  sir,"  she  replied, 
turning  away,  "you  can  do  nothing." 

"Thrust  myself!  "  I  returned,  with  heat.  "You 
must  know  how  unjust  you  are.  I  have  no  greater 
desire  than  to  escape  from  this  place  !  I  came 
to  it  involuntarily ;  I  am  detained  here  much 
against  my  will ;  I  shall  leave  it  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity." 

Her   face   hardened.     "  You   almost   make  me 


86  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

regret  a  mere  act  of  humanity,"  she  said.  "  I 
have  no  wish  for  further  conversation,  sir,"  and 
she  turned  as  if  to  go.  Once  more  I  had  run 
against  the  stone  wall  of  reticence  that  these  peo- 
ple had  built  around  them,  and,  as  usual,  I  had 
bruised  myself  to  no  purpose.  They  would  not 
even  listen  to  my  thanks,  I  thought  despairingly. 
Heaven  knew  that  hitherto  I  had  had  little  enough 
to  thank  them  for ! 

"  You  shall  not  be  annoyed  further  by  either  my 
presence  or  my  gratitude,  madam,"  I  said,  bowing 
with  great  ceremony.  "  I  will  limit  my  gratitude 
to  the  confines  of  my  thoughts,  since  I  am  not  to 
be  allowed  to  express  it.  However,  if  you  will 
allow  me  so  much,  I  will  replace  your  anchor 
before  I  go." 

"  No,  no  !  "  she  cried  eagerly,  clutching  the  rope. 
"  I  will  do  it  for  myself." 

I  could  not  well  take  it  from  her  by  force 
(though  her  obstinacy  made  me  feel  much  like 
attempting  it),  so  I  bowed  again,  and  turned  to 
go.  But  before  going,  I  cast  my  eyes  seaward, 
and  what  I  saw  caused  me  to  turn  and  speak  to 
her  again,  despite  her  prohibition. 

"At  least,  My  Lady,  you  must  allow  me  the 
pleasure  of  recovering  your  canoe." 

She  looked,  and  sprang  to  her  feet  with  a  cry. 


Out  of  the  Deep  87 

Evidently,  when  she  had  seized  the  blanket,  she 
had  pushed  the  canoe  slightly  enough  to  set  it 
afloat;  the  off-shore  breeze  had  caught  it,  and 
now  it  was  joyously  drifting  seaward.  Already 
it  was  a  hundred  yards  away ;  if  it  was  to  be  re- 
covered at  all,  it  must  be  immediately.  I  started 
toward  the  shore,  but  she  cried  out  loudly,  — 
"  No,  no ;  I  would  rather  let  it  go  !  " 
I  stopped  for  just  an  instant.  "What!"  I 
exclaimed  savagely.  "  You  would  refuse  me  even 
that  service  in  return  for  my  life  ?  You  are 
unreasonable,  My  Lady !  I  decline  to  obey  you 
thus  far,"  and  I  strode  down  into  the  water  and 
struck  out  for  the  canoe.  My  Lady  cried  to  me 
again  to  come  back,  but  I  paid  no  heed  to  her 
call.  It  was  a  simple  matter  to  reach  the  canoe 
and  climb  in  over  the  stern.  I  picked  up  the  pad- 
dle, and  I  turned  the  little  craft  shoreward ;  then 
I  glanced  at  My  Lady,  and  nearly  lost  the  paddle 
in  my  surprise.  She  knelt  on  the  shore,  with  her 
back  toward  me,  and  I  could  see  that  her  hands 
covered  her  face.  I  drove  the  canoe  rapidly 
toward  her,  fearing  she  might  be  ill.  If  her  late 
violent  exertions  had  injured  her,  I  felt  that  I 
should  never  forgive  myself  for  being  the  cause 
of  it. 
With  a  single  rapid  motion  I  dragged  the  canoe 


88  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

up  the  beach  to  where  it  would  be  safe.  At  the 
scraping  sound  of  it,  My  Lady  looked  around,  and 
scrambled  to  her  feet  with  evident  surprise  and 
alarm  on  her  features.  I  could  see  traces  of  tears, 
also,  though  at  the  moment  I  could  not  account 
for  them. 

"  You  !  "  she  exclaimed. 

"Who  else?"  I  returned.  "Did  you  expect 
any  one  else  ?  " 

The  question  staggered  her  for  a  moment. 

"  No  ;  nor  you  !  "  she  retorted,  before  she  had 
collected  her  thoughts.  The  next  moment  she  bit 
her  lip  and  turned  very  red,  as  though  she  had 
said  either  more  than  she  had  intended  or  some- 
thing different  from  what  she  would  have  wished. 

At  first  I  did  not  grasp  her  meaning.  I 
shrugged  my  shoulders,  and  turned  toward  the 
sea. 

"  May  I  be  allowed  the  honor  of  pushing  your 
canoe  clear  of  the  beach  ?  "  I  asked  sarcastically. 

She  gave  me  a  strange  look,  but  stepped  toward 
the  beach  without  another  word,  and  took  her 
place  in  the  canoe.  I  waded  into  the  light  surf, 
and  pushed  it  out  to  where  her  paddle  would  have 
a  clean  sweep.  I  was  about  to  give  the  boat  a 
shove  into  deep  water,  when  she  stayed  me  with 
a  gesture. 


Out  of  the  Deep  89 

"  One  moment,  sir !  I  should  like  to  ask  why 
—  when  you  were  free  and  in  this  canoe,  without 
a  chance  of  being  followed  successfully  —  why 
you  did  not  make  your  escape  in  it  ? " 

It  was  my  turn  now  to  be  staggered,  as  the 
chance  that  had  befallen  me  presented  itself  to 
view  for  the  first  time.  What  a  fool  I  had  been  ! 
The  opportunity  I  had  let  slip  from  my  very  grasp 
took  my  breath  away. 

"  I  did  not  think  of  it,"  I  answered,  with  perfect 
truth.  "I  only  thought  of  returning  your  prop- 
erty. Seeing  a  lady  in  distress  —  one,  too,  who 
had  just  saved  me  from  a  horrible  death  —  I 
thought  only  of  your  possible  loss.  No  doubt 
I  was  a  fool.  I  see  it  now;  it  is  not  the  first 
time!  Perhaps  I  may  remember  on  another 
occasion,  if  such  a  chance  should  occur  again, 
though  I  suppose  your  people  will  take  good  care 
to  prevent  a  repetition  of  it." 

With  another  salute  I  turned  away,  but  again 
she  stayed  me. 

"  Mr.  Darke,  I  know  it  is  impossible,  yet  I  wish 
we  could  be  —  friends."  Her  face  took  on  a 
softer  expression,  almost  a  kindly  one,  as  she 
spoke.  "  It  is  only  for  my  father's  sake  that  you 
are  detained  here,  and  I  assure  you  we  both 
regret  the  necessity." 


90  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  My  Lady,  if  you  come  to  the  cause  of  my 
detention  (of  which,  I  assure  you  again,  I  am 
utterly  ignorant),  I  have  nothing  to  say,  except 
to  reassert  my  entire  innocence  of  hostile  inten- 
tions. But  I  do  not  expect  you  to  believe  that." 

"  No,"  she  responded,  as  she  pushed  the  canoe 
further  out,  while  the  friendly  look  faded  from  her 
face.  "  I  do  not  —  I  must  not  —  though  I  should 
like  to !  But  still  I  do  not  understand  why  you 
did  not  escape  when  you  had  the  chance,"  and 
she  shook  her  head  in  a  puzzled  way,  as  her  long 
strokes  carried  her  swiftly  seaward. 

And,  when  I  came  to  think  the  matter  over, 
neither  did  I.  Everything  had  been  prepared  to 
my  hand ;  long  before  she  could  have  crossed  the 
island  to  where  the  other  boats  were  stored,  and 
have  given  the  alarm,  I  could  have  been  hope- 
lessly beyond  recapture  on  my  way  to  the  main- 
land. I  had  been  planning  for  this  very  thing 
for  months ;  that  very  matter  had  brought  me  to 
this  spot.  Why  did  I  not  fly  ?  I  did  not  know ; 
I  do  not  know,  unless  it  was  because  the  influence 
of  her  personality  so  overpowered  me  that  I  forgot 
all  else  in  the  desire  to  serve  her. 

As  I  walked  slowly  and  dejectedly  back  to  my 
bare  cabin,  I  wondered  what  all  this  meant,  and 
I  resolutely  cast  aside  the  only  answer  that  sug- 


Out  of  the  Deep  91 

gested  itself.  So  deeply  did  I  ponder  that,  until 
after  I  reached  the  cabin,  I  forgot  all  about  Bur- 
ton's presence  on  the  scene.  And  then  I  won- 
dered how  much  he  had  seen  and  heard,  and 
what  he  thought  of  it  all  ?  I  wondered  whether 
he  was  as  puzzled  as  I  was  myself? 


VI 

COALS    OF   FIRE 

IT  was  not  until  a  week  later  that  I  saw  My 
Lady  again.  I  was  on  my  customary  stroll  to  the 
beach,  where  I  went  every  day  in  the  vain  hope 
of  catching  sight  of  a  sail  that  I  might  call  to  my 
assistance  in  some  way.  My  Lady  had  evidently 
returned  from  riding  very  lately,  for  she  carried 
her  whip  in  one  hand,  while  the  other  supported 
the  sweeping  folds  of  her  skirt.  Her  face  was 
protected  from  the  sun  by  a  vizard  of  green  vel- 
vet, which  covered  nearly  all  her  features.  I 
should  not  have  looked  for  such  a  thing  on  this 
island,  seemingly  so  remote  from  contact  with  the 
greater  world  ;  but  the  mere  sight  of  it  proved 
that  in  some  way  these  people  had  learned  the 
fashions  of  the  day,  and  for  some  reason  lived  up 
to  them.  And  yet  I  had  never  yet  seen  so  much 
as  a  strange  sail  in  the  distance,  while  My  Lady, 
as  I  felt  sure,  had  not  left  the  island  for  a  single 
day  since  I  had  been  there.  Nor  had  the  sloop : 
the  condition  of  the  ropes  that  moored  her  to  the 

92 


Coals  of  Fire  93 

wharf  on  the  western  shore,  proved  that  she  had 
not  been  moved  for  months.  This  knowledge 
only  added  to  the  mystery  of  the  place,  without 
bringing  me  any  nearer  a  solution  of  it. 

Where  we  met,  the  path  was  narrow,  running 
along  the  top  of  a  long  dune.  Naturally,  I 
stepped  aside  to  let  her  pass,  pressing  close 
against  a  clump  of  myrtle  bushes,  that  she  might 
have  plenty  of  room.  There  was  not  a  chance  of 
contact,  even  had  she  proceeded  straight  along 
the  path ;  but  she  chose  to  show  her  contempt  for 
me  by  stepping  out  of  the  path  and  walking  along 
the  edge  of  the  dune  —  a  dangerous  proceeding, 
for  on  the  seaward  side  it  had  been  eaten  away  by 
the  spring  storms,  and  was  liable  to  go  down  with 
a  crash  at  any  moment.  However,  I  offered  no 
protest,  knowing  how  useless  it  would  be  ;  but  as 
she  approached  closer,  I  raised  my  battered  cap 
and  stood  with  it  raised  until  she  should  be 
past. 

I  could  have  smiled  at  this  childish  mode  of  dis- 
playing her  feelings,  had  it  not  been  for  the  really 
serious  danger  she  was  incurring.  I  should  not 
have  cared  to  see  even  my  worst  enemy  walking 
where,  at  any  moment,  the  ground  might  crumble 
beneath  him,  and  drop  him  more  than  thirty  feet 
under  a  covering  of  countless  tons  of  sand.  And 


94  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

the  death  of  even  one  of  the  slaves,  in  such  a 
way,  when  I  was  present,  would  inevitably  seal 
my  fate.  Nothing  could  persuade  the  mad  in- 
habitants of  this  strange  island  that  I  was  not 
responsible  for  the  disaster. 

While  I  was  thinking  of  this,  she  was  approach- 
ing, not  rapidly,  but  as  though  she  were  casually 
strolling  along  with  never  a  soul  in  sight.  She 
held  her  head  high,  and  her  eyes  never  even 
glanced  in  my  direction,  though  she  knew  well 
that  mine  were  on  her ;  and  despite  her  nearness 
to  the  edge  of  the  dune,  she  kept  her  eyes  raised 
high.  It  was  this  very  steadfastness  of  gaze  that 
led  almost  to  disaster;  for  with  her  eyes  so  raised 
she  could  not  well  heed  her  footing,  and  failed  to 
notice  a  tangled  clump  of  grass  that  lay  directly 
in  her  way.  It  caught  her  foot.  She  stumbled, 
swayed,  and  for  a  moment  it  seemed  to  me 
that  she  must  pitch  headlong  over  the  edge  of 
the  dune.  Instinctively  I  bounded  forward,  and 
seized  her  firmly  around  the  waist,  and  at  that 
moment  I  felt  the  sandy  cliff,  probably  loosened 
by  the  additional  weight  and  shock,  giving  way 
beneath  my  feet.  For  one  horrible  moment  I 
thought  we  were  both  doomed ;  the  next,  with  a 
supreme  effort,  I  had  half  jumped,  half  thrown 
myself  backward,  carrying  her  with  me,  while  the 


Coals  of  Fire  95 

whole  edge  of  the  bank  on  which  we  had  stood 
thundered  down  to  the  beach  below.  I  can  claim 
no  credit  for  the  act ;  it  was  so  entirely  instinctive 
and  unconscious  that  when  I  found  myself  lying 
flat  across  the  path,  with  My  Lady  by  my  side, 
for  a  moment  I  wondered  where  I  was,  and  how 
I  had  come  there. 

I  had  fallen  with  considerable  force,  and  the 
fright  and  the  shock  together  made  me  tremble 
violently  as  I  rose  quickly  and  took  My  Lady's 
hand  to  assist  her  to  rise.  If  my  fingers  had  been 
of  red-hot  iron,  she  could  not  have  recoiled  more 
suddenly  or  more  violently.  With  a  movement 
expressing  exaggerated  aversion,  she  drew  away 
and  sprang  to  her  feet.  So  suddenly  had  the 
whole  episode  occurred  that  as  she  rose  she  still 
grasped  her  whip  and  skirt,  though  the  mask  had 
fallen  from  her  face  to  the  ground. 

"  What !  "  she  exclaimed  furiously.  "  You  would 
touch  me ! " 

She  drew  back  her  arm  with  a  grand  gesture 
that  I  could  not  help  admiring,  even  at  such  a 
moment.  In  another  instant  the  lash  would  have 
struck  me,  but  her  thoughts  were  even  swifter  than 
her  motions.  Even  as  her  arm  swung  forward  she 
checked  it,  and  raised  the  whistle  that  hung  at  her 
belt. 


96  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

She  said,  with  vast  contempt,  after  blowing  a 
prolonged  blast,  "  It  would  be  too  much  honor." 

I  stood  gazing  at  her  passionate  face  in  utmost 
astonishment.  It  was  true  that  I  had  touched  her, 
and  with  considerable  force,  too,  but  only  to  save 
her  life ;  and  my  taking  her  hand  afterward  was 
merely  such  a  measure  of  common  civility  as  the 
meanest  slave  would  have  offered  and  she  would 
not  have  refused.  She  appeared  perfectly  sane, 
and  I  believed  she  was  so,  yet  she  was  swayed  by 
as  mad  a  humor  as  the  other  mad  inhabitants  of 
this  strange  island.  I  had  small  time  for  thought, 
however,  for  a  great  negro  bounded  panting  up 
the  dune  from  the  landward  side  and  paused  be- 
side her.  She  extended  the  whip  to  him,  while 
with  the  other  hand  she  pointed  at  me. 

"  Theodore,  lash  that  creature's  face  !  " 

She  spoke  in  a  perfectly  calm  and  even  voice, 
with  not  a  trace  of  emotion,  as  though  the  com- 
mand were  the  most  ordinary  one  imaginable. 
The  negro  looked  at  me,  I  looked  back  at  him ; 
and  if  my  face  reflected  my  feelings,  I  do  not 
wonder  that  he  recoiled  and  hesitated. 

"But,  My  Lady,  I  doan'  —  " 

If  she  had  any  scruples  about  touching  me,  she 
had  none  in  his  case.  She  swung  the  whip  with 
a  vicious  swish,  and  a  whitish  line  sprang  across 


Coals  of  Fire  97 

the  negro's  black  cheek.  He  leaped  back  with  a 
cry  of  pain. 

"Will  you  argue  with  me?"  she  demanded 
fiercely. 

He  bowed  his  head,  and  extended  his  hand  to 
take  the  weapon ;  she  gave  it  to  him,  and  he 
approached  me  slowly.  Evidently  he  had  small 
taste  for  the  deed.  For  a  moment  I  hesitated.  I 
could  not  strike  her,  of  course,  and  the  negro  was 
so  plainly  acting  unwillingly  and  under  dire  com- 
pulsion that  it  seemed  hard  to  punish  him  for 
obeying  her  command.  At  the  same  time,  I 
could  not  submit  tamely  to  be  whipped  by  any 
one,  least  of  all  by  a  slave.  I  had  to  decide 
quickly ;  his  arm  was  already  raised  when  I  sprang 
at  him,  and  with  a  blow  on  the  chest  (for  I  did 
not  want  to  hurt  him  for  her  fault)  toppled  him 
over,  so  that  he  rolled  down  the  side  of  the  dune, 
which  sloped  gently  landward. 

My  Lady  stamped  her  foot  with  rage,  and  blew 
her  whistle  again.  Half  a  dozen  other  negroes, 
summoned  by  the  first  blast,  were  already  on  the 
way  ;  now  they  redoubled  their  speed,  and  climbed 
the  dune  pell-mell.  Theodore,  I  noticed,  stayed 
at  the  bottom. 

"  Seize  that  man  !  "  she  commanded,  as  several 
of  them  drew  near  us  together. 


98  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

I  had  done  all  that  was  possible ;  I  knew  I  could 
not  struggle  against  such  numbers ;  as  there  was 
nothing  to  be  gained  by  fighting,  I  submitted 
quietly.  Grasping  me  on  both  sides,  they  drew 
my  arms  behind  me  while  one  of  them  produced 
a  piece  of  cord. 

"  Stop  !  You  need  not  tie  him ;  only  hold  him 
firmly."  She  glanced  down  the  slope.  "Theo- 
dore, come  here ! " 

Helpless  though  I  was,  the  slave  had  small  mind 
to  come,  but  he  knew  there  was  no  escape.  I 
could  see  the  place  where  she  had  struck  him,  still 
gray,  and  raised  in  a  high  welt.  My  Lady  held 
out  the  whip,  which  she  had  picked  up  when  he 
dropped  it  in  falling.  "  Do  what  I  told  you !  "  she 
commanded. 

From  the  moment  of  my  striking  the  negro,  she 
had  not  looked  me  in  the  face,  but  as  she  handed 
the  whip  to  her  executioner  she  turned  her  head, 
and  our  eyes  met.  After  that  I  was  too  proud  to 
glance  at  the  negro,  whom  I  could  feel  approach- 
ing me.  She  gazed  at  me  as  if  spellbound.  We 
stood  there  like  two  figures  of  stone  for  what 
seemed  to  me  an  interminable  time. 

Suddenly  a  line  of  red-hot  iron  seemed  drawn 
across  my  cheek.  The  pain  of  it  was  so  sharp 
and  sudden  that  I  gave  a  convulsive  start  which 


Coals  of  Fire  99 

almost  tore  me  loose  from  my  captors'  grasp.  I 
felt  the  blood  rush  to  my  face,  and  my  cheek 
puffed  up  so  that  the  tightly  drawn  skin  was  ready 
to  break.  Involuntary  tears  sprang  to  my  eyes ; 
fortunately  not  enough  to  betray  me  except  to  the 
woman  whose  order  had  caused  them.  Though  I 
could  not  help  them,  and  though  they  were  no  sign 
of  weakness  or  fear,  I  could  have  killed  myself  for 
anger  that  she  had  seen  them. 

While  we  were  still  staring  thus  at  one  another, 
I  seemed  to  feel  Theodore  raise  his  arm  again, 
and  knew  that  if  he  struck  again  in  the  same 
place,  the  blow  would  draw  blood.  My  Lady 
must  have  felt  the  movement,  too,  for  she  sprang 
forward  and  grasped  his  arm. 

"  Go !  "  she  said.  Theodore  dropped  the  whip 
instantly,  and  began  to  move  away.  "Go!"  she 
said  to  the  others.  They  moved  also,  my  captors 
taking  me  with  them,  still  firmly  held. 

"Stop!"  commanded  My  Lady.  "Release  that 
man !  I  told  you  to  go,  not  him !  "  But  she  did 
not  look  at  me  as  she  spoke. 

The  glaring  sunshine  poured  down  on  us  as  we 
stood  there  alone,  neither  quite  knowing  what  to 
do  or  say.  My  eyes  were  fastened  on  her  face, 
and,  in  spite  of  her  treatment  of  me,  the  majesty 
and  the  sweetness  of  her  fascinated  me  afresh. 


ioo  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

I  ought  to  have  hated  her,  and  could  not;  or 
rather,  my  head  hated  her,  while  my  heart  —  well, 
it  came  perilously  near  to  loving  her. 

At  length,  when  the  silence  and  suspense  were 
becoming  unbearable,  her  hand  made  a  faint 
gesture  of  dismissal.  For  a  moment  I  waited,  but 
her  eyes  were  glued  to  the  ground,  and  she  would 
not  raise  them ;  so,  with  a  profound  bow,  which  I 
knew  she  could  not  help  seeing,  I  turned  and 
walked  quickly  away  toward  the  end  of  the  dune. 
When  I  reached  it,  my  inclination  to  look  back 
was  strong,  but  I  managed  to  repress  it.  I  walked 
down  to  the  surf,  and  bathed  my  scarred  cheek 
with  cool  salt  water.  It  eased  the  smart  greatly, 
but  there  was  a  deeper  sting  that  I  thought  the 
whole  ocean  could  not  ease.  And  the  worst  of 
the  matter  was,  that  I  could  not  decide  just  what 
the  smart  was.  Not  a  feeling  of  disgrace,  cer- 
tainly ;  if  she  had  been  a  man,  or  if  the  slaves  had 
been  freemen,  it  might  have  been  different,  though 
I  cannot  see  why  a  man  need  feel  disgraced  by  a 
punishment  that  he  knows  is  arbitrary  and  unjust. 
I  was  thoroughly  enraged,  but  rage  never  hurt  in 
that  way;  and  besides,  my  anger  was  directed 
more  at  the  caprices  of  a  fate  that  put  me  in 
such  a  position,  and  that  would  not  supply  a  key 
to  the  secret  of  these  incomprehensible  people. 


Coals  of  Fire  101 

Perhaps  if  I  could  have  understood  them,  had 
been  able  to  put  myself  in  their  place,  I  could 
have  sympathized  with  them.  I  ought  rightly  to 
have  felt  hatred  toward  the  woman  who  had  used 
me  so,  but  I  knew  that  I  did  not.  Unless  her 
face  and  her  voice  belied  her  mightily,  I  was  sure 
she  must  regret  that  ill-considered  blow  even  more 
than  I  did.  Whatever  might  be  the  reason  these 
people  had  for  hating  me  so,  she  had  put  herself 
in  the  wrong  by  her  action,  and  I  knew  she  must 
feel  it.  She  was  a  lady  ;  in  the  outer  world,  one 
must  have  called  her  a  great  lady,  with  all  a  great 
lady's  sensitiveness  to  rude  actions.  When  I  had 
thought  out  all  this,  I  ended  by  being  angry  at 
myself  because  I  could  not  tell  the  cause  or  the 
object  of  my  anger. 

For  an  hour  or  more  I  paced  the  beach,  watch- 
ing the  sea  from  force  of  habit,  though  if  the 
water  had  been  covered  with  sails  I  believe  I 
should  not  have  noticed  them.  When  I  finally 
realized  where  I  was,  I  found  myself  standing  by 
the  place  where  the  edge  of  the  dune  had  fallen 
beneath  us,  contemplating  the  great  pile  of  damp 
sand,  and  wondering  whether,  if  I  had  jumped  a 
second  later  than  I  did,  any  one  would  have 
thought  of  looking  for  us  beneath  it.  Such  falls 
of  sand  were  common  enough ;  there  was  nothing 


IO2  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

peculiar  about  the  aspect  of  this  one.  Already 
the  fierce  sun  had  dried  the  surface  of  the  heap, 
and  except  for  a  slight  dampness  at  the  upper 
edge  of  the  bank  there  was  nothing  to  show  that  it 
had  not  been  in  that  condition  for  days  or  weeks. 
The  thought  of  being  buried  alive  in  that  crum- 
bling, clinging  mass  was  not  pleasant.  I  am  no 
more  afraid  of  death  than  most  men ;  but  when 
the  end  does  come,  there  are  certain  ways  that 
most  of  us  would  gladly  avoid. 

As  I  turned  away  a  sudden  thought  came  to 
me,  and  I  walked  rapidly  to  the  lower  end  of  the 
dune,  and  ascended  it  as  My  Lady  had  done, 
and  followed  her  steps.  It  was  a  silly  piece  of 
sentimentality,  no  doubt,  and  I  did  not  pretend 
to  account  for  it  or  to  excuse  it ;  but  if  that  whip 
lay  where  Theodore  had  dropped  it,  I  intended  to 
get  it  and  keep  it.  After  my  escape  (which  I 
had  no  doubt  of  making  eventually)  it  would 
serve  to  remind  me  of  a  unique  experience.  I 
was  neither  proud  nor  glad  of  the  experience, 
yet  I  knew  I  should  never  want  to  forget  it :  who 
can  account  for  the  contradictions  of  his  thoughts  ? 
I  was  sure  My  Lady  would  not  care  to  use  the 
whip  again  :  it  would  burn  her  hand  if  she 
touched  it.  The  thing  would  probably  be  lying 
near  the  clump  of  myrtles,  and  there  I  found  it 


Coals  of  Fire  103 

and  thrust  it  into  my  waistcoat  —  a  little  thing,  no 
longer  than  my  arm,  but  to  me  full  of  memories, 
both  bitter  and  sweet. 

With  a  last  look  at  the  sea  I  passed  the  myrtles 
to  descend  the  easy  landward  slope  of  the  dune, 
and  with  a  low  cry  of  amazement  I  started  back, 
for  there,  behind  the  myrtles,  lay  My  Lady,  face 
downward,  with  her  head  resting  upon  her  folded 
arms.  For  a  moment  only  I  hesitated,  and  then 
stepped  to  her  side.  The  roar  of  the  surf  had 
covered  the  slight  noise  of  my  steps  on  the  soft 
sand,  and  when  I  knelt  beside  her  and  addressed 
her  by  the  only  name  I  knew  for  her,  it  must  have 
given  her  a  great  shock. 

"  My  Lady,"  I  said,  in  alarm,  "  are  you  ill  ?  " 

With  a  violent  effort  she  rose  to  her  feet,  and 
looked  at  me  wildly  for  an  instant ;  the  next  mo- 
ment she  sank  to  her  knees,  and  her  hands  covered 
her  burning  face. 

"Go!"  she  said,  in  a  smothered  whisper.  But 
I  could  not  leave  her  so,  for  in  that  one  glance  I 
had  seen  that  her  face  was  stained  with  tears, 
and  after  all  that  had  gone  before  there  could  be 
only  one  cause  for  it.  It  came  upon  me  suddenly 
that  I  was  no  longer  angry  with  her ;  I  only  pitied 
her,  for  she  was  in  worse  case  than  I  —  she  was 
ashamed. 


IO4  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  My  Lady,"  I  said,  in  a  very  uneven  voice,  "  I 
am  not  certain  of  the  cause  of  your  distress,  but 
if  it  is  what  I  think  it,  I  beg  you  to  believe  that  I 
am  sure  you  acted  in  a  moment  of  irresponsible 
anger.  The  cause  of  that  anger  is  unknown  to 
me ;  but  I  assure  you  that  if  any  act  of  mine  of- 
fended you,  it  was  done  in  ignorance  and  without 
such  intent.  And  I  beg  you  to  believe,  also,  that 
I  bear  no  ill  will  toward  any  one  for  what  occurred 
later ;  and  I  pray  you  to  try  to  forget  it,  as  I 
shall." 

I  waited  to  see  whether  she  would  reply,  but  no 
answer  came,  nor  even  a  movement  of  the  bowed 
figure.  So,  having  done  what  I  could,  I  marched 
away  toward  my  cabin,  wondering  whether  I  had 
any  right  to  the  glow  of  self-satisfaction  that  I 
felt.  I  had  been  heaping  coals  of  fire  on  mine 
enemy's  head ;  but  I  was  not  quite  sure  that  my 
elation  did  not  arise  from  the  fact  that  the  coals 
must  hurt  her. 

I  reasoned  upon  this  all  of  the  day,  without 
reaching  a  satisfactory  conclusion.  But  I  did  not 
forget  to  place  carefully  the  little  green  whip  with 
the  silver  handle  in  a  hollow  between  two  of  the 
logs  in  my  cabin,  and  conceal  it  by  a  layer  of  moss. 
When  the  time  came  its  removal  would  not  cause 
me  the  delay  of  a  moment,  and  I  knew  that  I 


Coals  of  Fire  105 

should  not  forget  to  take  it  with  me.  Looking  at 
it  from  this  length  of  time,  the  act  seems  incon- 
sistent with  my  promise  to  My  Lady  to  forget  the 
whole  occurrence ;  but  somehow  it  did  not  strike 
me  so  then. 


VII 

TANTALUS 

AN  interminable  time  elapsed  before  I  met  her 
again.  I  dreaded  yet  longed  for  the  meeting,  be- 
ing consumed  with  a  great  desire  to  know  how 
she  would  act.  It  seemed  as  though  she  dreaded 
it  also,  for  while  formerly  I  had  been  accustomed 
to  meet  her  frequently,  now  she  either  kept  her- 
self within  doors,  or  else  ventured  out  only  when 
she  knew  I  was  safely  bestowed  at  some  far  point 
of  the  island.  She  must  have  known  that  she 
could  not  avoid  me  thus  for  long;  but  it  is  easy 
to  understand  how  disconcerting  the  first  en- 
counter would  be  for  her,  and  it  was  not  strange 
that  she  endeavored  to  put  off  the  time  as  long 
as  possible. 

Burton  had  heard  of  what  had  occurred  on  the 
dune,  and  his  eyes  twinkled  maliciously  whenever 
he  met  me,  fixing  themselves  on  the  purple  mark 
that  clung  to  my  cheek  for  some  days.  What  he 
did  not  know  was  my  second  meeting  with  My 

106 


Tantalus  107 

Lady  that  morning,  and  the  surety  of  her  repent- 
ance that  I  bore  with  me  for  my  consolation. 
Hence  his  malice  hurt  me  little. 

The  purple  mark  had  a  fascination  for  the 
slaves,  too ;  whenever  they  met  me  their  eyes 
would  involuntarily  seek  my  cheek,  and  linger 
there.  That  it  was  not  my  own  sensitiveness  was 
proved  by  the  evident  efforts  they  made  to  pre- 
vent my  noticing  their  gaze ;  their  eyes  would 
wander  and  shift  and  sometimes  close,  yet  always 
returned  to  the  mark,  for  they  tried  to  avoid  hurt- 
ing my  feelings,  having  only  good  will  toward  me. 
It  was  seldom  that  a  blow  was  necessary  among 
the  Master's  servants,  and  probably  they  had 
never  before  seen  a  white  man  struck  in  anger. 
Perhaps  the  fact  that  I  was  white  made  the 
strangeness  of  the  thing  to  them ;  Theodore  bore 
a  mark  also,  but  they  hardly  noticed  it.  Those 
who  had  held  my  hands,  and  Theodore  more  than 
all,  avoided  me  carefully,  slinking  away  when  I 
came  in  sight,  as  though  fearing  that  I  would 
seek  to  revenge  myself  on  them,  until  one  day  I 
stopped  Theodore  and  told  him  that  I  did  not  feel 
any  ill  will  toward  any  of  them,  since  they  were 
obliged  to  obey  when  My  Lady  ordered  —  he, 
most  of  all.  After  that  there  was  no  more  of  the 
avoidance,  and  as  the  scar  soon  began  to  fade, 


io8 

the  whole  matter  speedily  fell  into  abeyance  and 
was  forgotten  by  all. 

Not  so  with  My  Lady,  however.  There  had 
been  no  command  or  compulsion  exercised  on  her, 
and  she  was  the  more  ashamed  therefor.  The 
longer  she  brooded  over  it,  the  harder  the  first 
meeting  would  be  for  her ;  hence  the  most  sensi- 
ble thing  would  be  to  plunge  in  medias  res,  and 
have  done  with  it.  There  were  only  two  courses 
open  to  her,  as  it  seemed  to  me.  One  was  to 
apologize,  either  openly  or  by  implication,  for  her 
treatment  of  me ;  the  other,  to  go  on  as  before, 
thereby  letting  me  understand  that  she  had  no 
more  reason  to  notice  my  existence  than  before. 
Knowing  her  pride,  I  thought  the  latter  must  be 
her  course ;  knowing  her  truth,  and  the  real  ten- 
derness of  her  heart,  it  seemed  impossible  that  she 
could  take  any  but  the  first.  I  rejoiced  exceed- 
ingly that  it  was  not  I  that  had  to  make  the  deci- 
sion. For  once,  at  least,  since  coming  to  the 
island  I  was  master  of  the  situation.  I  had  only 
to  wait.  Whatever  course  she  might  take  could 
only  put  me  more  completely  in  the  right. 

But  I  was  sorry  for  My  Lady,  both  on  account 
of  what  she  had  done  and  on  account  of  what 
she  had  to  do.  No  matter  which  course  she  fol- 
lowed, it  would  hurt  her  sorely. 


Tantalus  109 

As  usual,  it  was  the  unexpected  that  came  to 
pass ;  in  threading  a  narrow  footpath  through  the 
great  south  woods  we  were  close  together  before 
either  of  us  discovered  the  other's  presence.  It 
might  be  a  question  which  was  the  more  startled 
or  the  more  discomposed  when  we  found  our- 
selves almost  face  to  face  in  the  dim  shade  of  the 
forest.  But  perhaps  the  very  suddenness  of  it 
was  the  best  thing  that  could  have  happened  for 
both  of  us,  allowing  no  chance  for  previous 
thought  or  for  the  nervousness  that  comes  from 
long  anticipation,  and  so  often  is  infinitely  -more 
hard  to  endure  than  the  reality.  As  usual,  I 
stepped  aside  until  My  Lady  should  pass,  and 
made  her  the  ceremonious  bow  that  I  had  never 
omitted  on  meeting  her,  and  that  she  had  never 
returned  but  once. 

Apart  from  the  few  times  I  had  met  her  with 
her  father,  we  had  exchanged  words  but  twice : 
once  when  I  had  returned  her  canoe,  and  once 
when  I  had  saved  her  from  the  fall  at  the  edge 
of  the  dune.  The  first  time  she  had  seemed 
almost  friendly ;  the  second  —  well,  I  have  told 
about  that.  If  there  was  anything  of  friendliness 
about  that  interview,  I  had  failed  to  discover  it. 

Hence,  when  I  stood  aside  this  time,  I  had 
little  reason  for  expecting  anything  but  the  same 


no  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

ostentatious  obliviousness  of  my  existence  that  I 
had  become  accustomed  to.  It  had  never  ceased 
to  hurt  me ;  but  I  looked  for  nothing  else,  and  I 
was  determined  not  to  let  her  or  the  Master  or 
Burton  know  how  deeply  it  wounded  me.  So  I 
held  up  my  hea^  bravely  and  waited  for  the 
inevitable. 

It  came,  yet  with  a  difference.  My  Lady 
passed  me  without  a  salutation,  it  is  true.  But 
in  place  of  the  open,  straightforward  gaze,  with 
no  acknowledgment  that  a  human  being  was 
near,  such  as  I  had  looked  for,  My  Lady  passed 
me  with  downcast  eyes,  and  with  a  flush  upon 
her  cheek  that  testified  loudly  to  her  knowledge 
of  my  presence.  Her  tongue  did  not  speak  to 
me,  but  her  face  did.  I  gazed  and  gazed,  as 
though  I  could  never  be  satisfied,  and,  without 
so  much  as  a  glance  upward,  she  felt  it. 

She  passed  me,  and  I  turned  to  pursue  my 
way ;  regained  the  narrow  track  and  was  striding 
along  it,  when  a  voice  arrested  me.  That  voice 
had  been  obeyed  implicitly  for  twenty  years  by 
every  soul  on  the  island ;  and  I,  though  not  one  of 
the  servants,  was  yet  held  by  it.  Not  because  of 
the  command,  for  there  was  none,  but  because 
of  the  request  implied  in  the  tone,  and  —  because 
for  months  it  had  been  shaping  itself  into  the 


Tantalus  1 1 1 

sweetest  sound  I  knew.  Yet  its  unexpectedness 
gave  me  a  start. 

"  Mr.  Darke  !  "  There  was  no  command  in  the 
tone,  no  scorn  this  time ;  instead,  it  was  timid, 
beseeching.  I  stopped  as  though  held  by  a 
strong  arm,  hardly  able  to  believe  my  ears. 

"  Mr.  Darke  !  "  She  had  not  turned,  though  her 
ears  must  have  told  her  that  I  had. 

"  Did  you  speak  to  me,  My  Lady  ? "  I  could 
not  help  an  accent  of  incredulity. 

"Yes." 

I  waited.  I  would  not  approach  her  unless 
requested ;  I  had  had  my  lesson  —  a  bitter  one. 
The  silence  grew  tense.  She  would  not  turn,  she 
would  not  speak.  The  light  through  the  trees  was 
dim,  and  her  wide  hat  shaded  her  face  so  that 
but  little  of  it  could  be  seen.  I  waited. 

Of  a  sudden  she  turned,  as  though  compelled. 
We  were  not  ten  yards  apart,  but  she  would  not 
look  up. 

"  Mr.  Darke,  I  wish  to  apologize  —  " 

The  remembrance  of  her  self-abasement  on  the 
dune  hurt  me  almost  as  much  as  it  did  her.  I 
knew  what  was  coming,  and  tried  to  avoid  it. 

"My  Lady,  I  beg  — " 

She  interrupted  me  in  her  turn  with  a  gesture. 

"I  wish  to  apologize  —  " 


112  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"If  that  is  all,  My  Lady,  I  do  not  wish  to 
stay."  I  turned  away,  and  again  she  stopped  me. 

"Mr.  Darke!"  Why  should  she  have  the 
power  to  hold  me  by  a  word  ?  When  I  looked 
again  her  face  was  raised  —  flushed  and  ashamed, 
but  visible. 

"  Pray  hear  me,  sir,"  she  begged,  as  though  I 
were  lord  of  the  island  and  she  its  prisoner.  "  It 
is  most  necessary.  I  must  beg  your  pardon  for 
my  conduct —  " 

I  could  not  listen  further.  I  knew  how  hard  it 
must  be  for  her  to  say  it,  but  it  seemed  far  harder 
for  me  to  hear  it.  The  certainty  that  she  wished 
to  make  amends  was  more  than  enough  for  me : 
as  effectual  as  the  most  abject  spoken  apology 
could  have  been.  From  her,  the  wish  meant  more 
than  the  deed  would  have  meant  from  so  many 
others.  I  wished  to  spare  her  as  much  as  possible. 

"  Only  one  moment,  My  Lady,"  I  said.  "  After 
that,  if  I  must  —  I  am  sure  I  know  what  you  were 
about  to  say.  You  have  already  said  more  than 
enough ;  pray  consider  the  rest  said,  also,  and  the 
matter  concluded.  There  are  some  things  that 
are  better  forgotten  —  " 

"  Ah,  I  feared  you  would  take  it  so !  "  she  cried. 

"You  mistake  me,  indeed,"  I  said  earnestly. 
"  I  did  not  mean  it  in  that  way.  I  say  some 


Tantalus  113 

things  are  best  forgotten.  I  hope  this  one  may 
be  so,  as  much  on  your  account  as  on  my  own. 
I  know  the  thing  was  unpremeditated,  and  I  re- 
gret having  been  the  cause  of  it.  The  greatest 
favor  I  could  ask  of  you  would  be  that  you  should 
put  it  out  of  your  mind  once  and  forever,  as  I 
wish  to  do  myself.  You  are  guiltless  and  fault- 
less in  my  eyes." 

"  Ah,  but  in  my  own,"  she  cried,  covering  her 
face,  "  I  am  abased  !  " 

It  seemed  impossible  to  help  her  in  that,  at  the 
moment.  Then  a  thought  came  to  me. 

"  If  your  own  eyes  show  yourself  so  unfairly, 
My  Lady,  look  in  mine,  and  take  a  message  from 
them." 

I  was  standing  close  by  her  now.  My  appeal 
had  effect,  and  she  did  look ;  at  first  with  doubt, 
then  with  returning  confidence. 

"  Do  you  find  resentment  there  ?  "  I  said,  very 
low.  Still  she  looked. 

"  I  find  —  I  find  —  "     She  hesitated. 

"  Nothing  that  you  would  not  wish  to  find,  I 
hope  ? " 

"  No ;  but  much  that  I  did  not  expect !  Oh, 
are  you  deceiving  me  ?  "  she  broke  out. 

"  Not  in  that,  nor  in  anything  else,  My  Lady," 
I  replied.  "  I  have  not  tried  to  deceive  you  in  any 


H4  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

way.  But  now,  may  I  venture  an  appeal  to  you 
in  my  turn?" 

She  looked  troubled.  "  If  it  concerns  your 
freedom  — " 

"  It  does  not,"  I  interrupted.  "  I  know  how 
little  responsibility  for  that  attaches  to  you.  My 
request  is  merely  that  you  will  listen  to  my  story, 
the  story  that  I  would  have  told  at  my  first  com- 
ing if  I  had  not  been  condemned  unheard.  I  do 
not  ask  you  to  repeat  it  to  your  father ;  I  do  not 
ask  you  even  to  believe  it ;  only  to  listen  to  it.  It 
will  not  take  long,  and  you  can  judge  of  its  truth 
for  yourself." 

"  But  why,  then,  should  you  wish  me  to  hear 
it  ?  I  can  do  nothing  to  help  your  release." 

"  It  has  nothing  to  do  with  my  release.  I  have 
abandoned  all  hope  of  securing  that  unless  by  my 
own  unaided  efforts  —  and  they  shall  secure  it !  " 
I  said,  with  great  determination.  "  I  wish  you  to 
hear  it  only  because  —  oh,  because  I  want  to  know 
that  you  have  at  least  heard  my  side  of  the  case." 

"  But  why  ? "  she  persisted. 

"  For  a  woman's  reason,  perhaps,"  I  replied 
lightly.  "  Say  there  is  no  reason  at  all ;  imagine, 
if  you  like,  that  I  ask  it  as  a  favor  for  a  mere 
whim.  I  have  asked  few  favors,  and  have  re- 
ceived fewer,  since  I  came  here."  I  was  taking 


Tantalus  115 

advantage  of  her  softened  mood.  Perhaps  the 
thought  of  the  pardon  she  had  just  been  asking 
of  me  moved  her. 

"  I  will  hear  you,  sir,"  she  said.  "  But  I  cannot 
promise  —  " 

"  To  believe  me  ?  I  do  not  ask  you  to,  unless 
you  must  after  you  have  heard  me." 

She  stood  very  straight  before  me,  and  clasped 
her  hands  in  front  of  her,  and  all  the  while  I  was 
speaking  she  never  shifted  her  gaze  from  my  face. 
She  seemed  to  be  trying  to  look  into  my  most 
secret  thoughts,  and  I  cannot  imagine  how  a  man 
could  stand  before  that  searching  look,  and  lie, 
without  faltering  and  contradicting  himself. 

I  told  a  plain,  unvarnished  tale  :  of  the  summons 
to  join  my  company,  of  the  storm,  and  my  escape 
from  drowning,  and  of  my  meeting  with  Burton ; 
assuring  her  again  of  my  ignorance  of  the  location 
of  the  island  or  the  name  of  its  owner. 

"  And  I  do  not  scruple  to  acknowledge  to  you 
that  I  have  tried  to  entrap  the  negroes  into  be- 
traying something  about  both,"  I  said,  "but  with 
little  success.  You  can  understand  how  irksome 
must  be  this  confinement  without  reason  that  I 
can  discover.  My  company  has  gone  to  the  war 
without  me ;  I  have  missed  a  chance  of  promotion 
and  glory  —  " 


n6  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  Or  death,"  she  interrupted,  speaking  for  the 
first  time  since  I  began  my  tale. 

"  Or  death,"  I  repeated.  "  But  that  is  the  chance 
of  war,  and  to  be  reckoned  with  beforehand.  And 
I  could  hardly  have  come  nearer  death  than  I 
have  done  several  times  since  I  came  here.  One 
escape  I  owe  to  you.  Whether  the  sloop  that 
brought  me  was  wrecked  or  arrived  safely,  I  must 
have  been  reported  as  lost.  My  uncle  and  aunt 
will  be  in  mourning  for  me,  and  poor  little  Dolly 
will  cry  her  eyes  out  for  grief." 

Poor  Dolly !  How  seldom  I  had  thought  of  her 
during  the  last  few  months  !  She  deserved  a  bet- 
ter remembrance. 

"  Who  is  Dolly  ? "  queried  My  Lady,  showing 
curiosity  for  the  first  time. 

"My  cousin,"  I  replied.  "A  sweet  little  girl, 
and  one  of  the  prettiest  I  ever  knew.  We  had 
grown  to  be  such  good  friends." 

"You  love  her?"  queried  My  Lady,  looking 
downward.  "  That  must  be  the  hardest  part  of 
your  trouble,  to  be  parted  from  one  you  love." 

"  Yes,  I  love  her  very  much,  though  not  in  the 
way  you  mean,  I  think.  We  were  constantly 
quarrelling,  and  the  best  of  friends  on  account  of 
it,  if  you  can  understand  such  a  contradiction. 
We  were  perpetually  sticking  pins  into  one  an- 


Tantalus  117 

other,  as  it  were ;  but  there  was  no  poison  on  the 
points,  and  the  little  wounds  did  not  rankle." 

The  mention  of  pins  naturally  suggested  the 
thought  of  a  pin-cushion,  and  that  in  turn  brought 
to  my  mind  the  last  conversation  I  had  had  with 
Dorothy;  and  I  told  My  Lady  the  story  of  that 
morning,  and  how  Dolly  had  behaved  with  regard 
to  the  bur.  And  My  Lady  laughed  —  she  actu- 
ally laughed  at  the  tale,  as  though  we  were  friends, 
and  stood  on  common  ground.  The  change  was 
delightful,  yet  so  strange  as  to  be  bewildering. 

"  I  wish  I  could  know  her,"  said  My  Lady, 
wistfully  :  a  natural  enough  wish  for  one  who  had 
evidently  lived  for  years  without  a  female  com- 
panion or  even  acquaintance  of  her  own  station. 
"  We  have  lived  so  alone,  and  there  has  been  so 
little  gayety  in  our  lives !  Sometimes  I  feel  a  little 
envy  of  other  girls  who  have  had  companions  and 
friends.  Not  that  I  would  have  it  changed,"  she 
went  on  quickly.  "  My  father  is  companion  and 
friend  at  once,  and  I  would  not  exchange  him  for 
all  the  rest  of  the  world.  But  —  there  is  a  differ- 
ence. I  wish  I  could  come  to  know  such  a  maid 
as  your  cousin  Dolly." 

"  I  wish  she  could  know  you,  even  as  I  do,"  I 
said  rashly. 

My  Lady  seemed  to  collect  herself  with  a  sud- 


118  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

den  alarm  at  finding  herself  conversing  so  amica- 
bly with  an  enemy. 

"  Why,  what  do  you  know  of  me  ? "  she  asked 
coldly. 

"  More  than  you  think,  perhaps,"  I  said.  "  Prob- 
ably you  do  not  know  how  many  nights  I  have 
stood  for  hours  among  the  trees  in  front  of  your 
house,  watching  you  and  your  father,  and  listen- 
ing to  your  singing."  I  saw  a  look  of  suspicion 
and  indignation  beginning  to  cloud  her  face.  "  I 
do  not  mean  that  I  ever  came  near  enough  to  hear 
your  conversation,"  I  went  on  quickly.  "  Never 
that;  I  am  no  eavesdropper.  All  I  ever  heard 
was  your  voice  in  singing,  and  if  you  knew  how 
much  pleasure  it  has  given  to  a  lonely  man,  cut 
off  from  all  his  kind,  you  would  not  grudge  that 
satisfaction,  even  to  an  enemy.  But  I  have  seen 
your  tenderness,  each  for  the  other,  and  I  know 
that  hearts  that  are  capable  of  such  feeling  can 
harbor  no  malice  or  wickedness.  What  I  mean 
is  this :  my  long  captivity  had  given  birth  to  hard 
feelings  against  the  authors  of  it,  and  I  had  vowed 
to  bring  punishment  upon  them  for  it.  But  what 
I  have  seen  there  has  so  softened  that  mood  that 
I  tell  you  that  when  I  make  my  escape  I  will  let 
those  injuries  go,  and  leave  you  all  in  peace.  You 
must  be  aware  that,  whatever  may  have  been  my 


Tantalus  119 

supposed  crimes,  such  a  detention  is  most  illegal, 
and  might  bring  a  weighty  vengeance  upon  all 
concerned  in  it.  But  I  tell  you  now  (and  it  may 
serve  to  ease  your  mind  after  I  am  gone)  that  in 
spite  of  all  the  injustice  I  have  suffered,  I  shall 
not  attempt  to  avenge  myself  upon  the  Master." 

She  began  to  show  some  interest. 

"  You  expect  to  escape,  then  ?  "  she  asked,  with 
a  certain  curious  wonder  at  my  certainty. 

"  Surely  !  Even  up  to  this  time  I  had  one 
excellent  opportunity  that  you  know  of.  I  let 
that  escape  me  by  my  own  stupidity,  but  others 
will  come  —  they  must!" 

"I  fear  —  I  mean,  I  hope  that  no  more  will 
present  themselves,"  she  said. 

"  The  time  will  come,"  I  said,  and  I  believed 
in  my  heart  it  would.  "  Sooner  than  you  think, 
perhaps.  I  do  not  know  —  I  only  wait ;  but  it  will 
come." 

She  stood  in  deep  thought  for  a  while. 

"  The  story  of  your  coming  seems  a  likely  one, 
Mr.  Darke,"  she  said.  "  I  believe  it,  that  is,  in 
a  certain  way  that  I  can  hardly  explain,  even  to 
myself.  But  my  father  says  otherwise,  and  I  am 
bound  to  believe  him  first.  It  seems  to  me  that 
there  must  be  something  more  behind  this  matter. 
I  cannot  guess  what  it  is,  and  you  may  be  as 


I2O  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

ignorant  as  myself  ;  but  my  father  does  not  act 
without  good  reasons  that  he  knows  of.  Perhaps 
he  will  tell  me  some  day,  and  then  I  shall  know 
what  to  do.  It  is  a  strange  quandary  to  be  in. 
I  should  like  to  believe  you  absolutely;  I  should 
like  to  believe  that  my  father  had  no  enemies  or 
persecutors  anywhere ;  yet  I  know  that  he  has 
powerful  ones,  though  I  do  not  know  who  they 
are.  But  he  ranks  you  among  them,  and,  for 
that  reason,  so  must  I." 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  courtesy  and  good 
wishes,  My  Lady,"  I  returned.  "I  do  not  blame 
you  for  your  attitude  in  the  matter;  as  a  loyal 
daughter  you  could  not  do  otherwise.  You  have 
listened  to  my  story ;  that  is  the  most  I  dared  to 
hope  for.  Some  day  you  will  know  the  truth  of  it." 

"  I  hope  so,  indeed,"  she  said. 

She  made  a  motion  as  though  to  offer  her  hand 
in  farewell;  the  hand  was  half  extended  when  I 
stepped  back  a  pace. 

"  No,  My  Lady !  I  recognize  the  kindness  of 
heart  that  prompts  the  offer,  and  thank  you  for 
it ;  but  I  will  not  take  your  hand  until  this  mistake 
has  been  corrected ;  until  I  can  take  it  as  a  friend 
in  the  sight  of  all  men.  And  I  think  it  would  not 
be  fair  to  your  father,  nor  what  he  would  willingly 
see." 


Tantalus  121 

My  remarks  confused  her;  she  turned  red. 
"  You  are  right,"  she  said  hastily.  "  It  was  the 
ill-considered  impulse  of  the  moment,  though  I 
do  not  regret  it.  Good-by,  Mr.  Darke." 

"  One  more  moment  before  you  go,  My  Lady," 
I  hastened  to  say.  "This  meeting  has  been  a 
great  satisfaction  to  me  in  many  ways,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  it.  But  I  shall  bury  it  deep  in  my 
memory  —  so  deep  that  it  will  lie  a  forgotten  thing 
among  other  lost  memories  —  until  the  day  comes 
when  I  can  return  to  it  honorably.  To  all  prac- 
tical purposes,  we  have  not  met  to-day.  When 
next  we  meet,  I  shall  expect  no  further  recogni- 
tion than  you  have  accorded  me  hitherto  —  which 
is  none  at  all.  Indeed,  I  do  not  wish  it.  If  I 
cannot  be  known  to  you  as  a  gentleman  and  your 
equal,  entitled  to  all  the  courtesies  that  I  would 
have  a  right  to  expect  as  such,  I  prefer  to  be  over- 
looked completely." 

"Certainly,  sir,  since  you  wish  it  so,"  she  re- 
turned haughtily,  drawing  herself  up  with  much 
dignity. 

"  But  do  not  misunderstand  me,  My  Lady," 
I  begged.  "Though  your  father  regards  me  as 
beneath  contempt,  I  have  my  pride ;  your  own 
pride  and  self-respect  should  enable  you  to  com- 
prehend the  stand  I  take.  Put  yourself  in  my 


122  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

place ;  think  how  you  would  feel  in  such  a  case 
as  mine,  knowing  yourself  innocent  of  all  cause 
of  offence." 

"  I  think  I  do  understand  it,"  she  said,  with 
more  gentleness,  after  a  pause.  "  I  shall  respect 
your  wishes,  and  will  not  think  you  discourteous 
on  account  of  them.  I  must  own  that  hitherto 
what  discourtesy  has  been  between  us  has  not 
come  from  you,"  growing  red  again. 

I  raised  my  hand  in  protest.  "  I  only  wish  to 
return  to  our  former  footing  until  the  day  comes 
when  I  may  meet  you  on  even  terms,  My  Lady ; 
and  the  wish  does  not  arise  from  any  feeling  of 
anger  or  any  intention  of  rudeness." 

"I  understand,"  she  said  again.  "But — I  am 
sorry." 

"  So  am  I,"  I  said.  "  But  the  present  state  of 
things  will  not  last  forever,  thank  God !  There 
must  soon  be  an  end  to  it." 

She  shrank  as  though  I  had  offered  to  strike 
her. 

"  Oh,  do  you  think  that  too  ?  " 

"  Think  what  ? "  I  asked,  amazed  at  her 
shrinking. 

"That  he  is  so  ill." 

"  He  ?     Who  ? " 

"  My  father." 


Tantalus  123 

"  Good  Heavens,  no  !  I  had  no  thought  of  him. 
What  do  you  mean,  My  Lady  ? " 

"  I  thought  you  were  expecting  to  be  released 
by  his  death." 

"  I  had  no  such  thought,"  I  exclaimed,  shocked 
at  the  idea.  "  If  I  had  had,  I  should  never  have 
thought  of  saying  such  a  thing  to  you,  of  all 
others.  Why  should  you  think  that  of  me  —  or 
that  he  is  ill?" 

"  He  says  that  your  power  for  harm  will  end 
when  he  dies  —  and  he  says  that  he  cannot  live 
long,"  she  answered.  There  were  tears  on  her 
cheeks. 

"  As  far  as  concerns  me,  he  is  wrong,"  I  said. 
"  I  have  no  power  to  harm  him,  except  by  prose- 
cuting him  for  keeping  me  here.  To  do  that  I 
must  first  be  free ;  and  I  have  just  told  you  that 
I  should  not  do  so  even  then.  If  you  do  not 
believe  me  —  and  I  suppose  you  do  not  —  " 

"  I  do  !  "  she  interposed. 

"  I  thank  you  for  that  much  confidence,  at  least. 
I  wish  you  could  believe  the  rest  also.  .  .  .  But 
I  think  you  are  too  fearful  about  him.  I  know 
he  is  not  strong ;  but  except  the  weakness  that 
comes  with  age,  he  seems  in  excellent  health,  and 
likely  to  live  many  years ;  perhaps  more  than  you 
or  I." 


124  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  I  pray  that  he  may,"  she  said  fervently. 

"  I,  also !  I  do  not  think,  from  what  little  I 
have  seen  of  him,  that  you  need  fear  on  that 
account.  Why  should  you  ?  " 

She  shook  her  head.     "  He  says  that  his  months 

—  he  does  not  even  say  years  —  will  be  few ;  and 

he   knows.      I  believe   him  in   that,  as  in  other 

things.     He  would  not  say  it  if  he  were  not  sure, 

for  he  knows  how  it  grieves  me." 

"  No  man  can  foretell  the  hour  of  his  death," 
I  said,  to  comfort  her. 

"  No ;  but  sometimes  he  can  feel  it  approach- 
ing." 

"  Let  us  hope  that  it  is  merely  a  temporary 
despondency,"  I  said.  "  I  wish  I  could  do  some- 
thing to  cheer  him ;  but  if  your  efforts  fail,  all 
other  would  be  useless,  certainly.  If  my  presence 
has  to  do  with  it,  you  may  assure  him  that  neither 
that  nor  my  absence  need  trouble  him.  ...  I  do 
not  mean  that  as  a  plea  for  my  liberty,  though." 

"  I  understand,"  she  said.  "  But  it  is  not  that, 
or  at  most,  it  can  be  only  a  small  part  of  the 
trouble.  It  began  before  you  came." 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  that,  at  least.  That  is, 
I  am  glad  to  know  that  I  am  not  the  cause. 
Could  you  not  bring  a  doctor  to  see  him  ? " 

"  He  will  not  hear  of  such  a  thing,  and  he  has 


Tan  fa/us  125 

lived  apart  from  the  world  so  long  that  the  pres- 
ence of  a  stranger  has  a  bad  effect  on  him.  Be- 
sides, he  says  he  knows,  and  that  a  physician  could 
do  nothing  for  him :  how  he  knows,  I  cannot  tell, 
except  that  he  is  a  very  wise  and  learned  man. 
He  has  some  knowledge  of  medicine,  among  other 
things." 

"  Let  us  hope  that  he  is  mistaken  as  to  the 
extent  of  his  knowledge,  in  that  case,"  I  replied. 
"  It  is  said  that  a  physician  is  less  than  others  able 
to  know  or  cure  his  own  illness." 

She  returned  no  answer,  and  for  a  long  time  we 
stood  in  silence.  After  the  pleasant  intimacy, 
almost  friendship,  that  had  come  to  us  during  the 
last  hour,  almost  obliterating  the  gulf  that  was 
supposed  to  lie  between  us,  neither  of  us  quite 
knew  how  to  make  a  fitting  departure.  She  was 
a  lady,  and  there  was  no  demand  upon  my  time, 
therefore,  it  was  not  for  me  to  make  the  first 
motion  toward  a  separation,  even  had  I  wished  to 
do  so.  After  this  it  was  hard  to  be  obliged  to  go 
back  to  the  old  form  of  outward  coldness  and  sus- 
picion, yet  it  must  be  done.  My  Lady  at  last 
moved  restively. 

"Good-by,  Mr.  Darke." 

"Good-by,  My  Lady."  There  was  nothing 
else  to  say,  bald  as  the  words  sounded. 


126  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

I  stood  aside.  She  courtesied  in  answer  to  my 
bow,  as  stately  as  though  we  stood  on  a  crowded 
street.  She  gave  me  one  glance  that  bore  no  con- 
tempt, and  made  me  believe  that  she  would  feel 
no  more  contempt  for  me  ever. 

She  passed  by  me,  and  was  gone. 


VIII 

JUGGERNAUT 

THE  threshing  had  been  going  on  for  a  week, 
and  was  now  nearly  over.  The  threshing  floor 
was  crowded  with  slaves,  just  far  enough  apart  to 
let  them  swing  their  flails  without  danger  to  one 
another.  I  stood  in  the  door  for  a  while,  watching 
them  rise  and  fall  through  the  dust  that  filled  the 
place.  Great  numbers  of  overflowing  bags  were 
piled  under  the  shed  outside,  and  from  time  to 
time  others  were  brought  out  and  added  to  the 
heap.  The  harvest  was  ten  times  in  quantity 
what  could  be  consumed  on  the  plantation. 

Justinian  was  overseeing  the  piling  of  the  sacks 
upon  his  wagon.  (It  was  a  curious  fancy  that  led 
the  Master  to  name  his  slaves  after  the  old  Roman 
emperors  and  their  consorts.)  I  wondered  what 
they  would  do  with  the  immense  crop. 

"Where  do  you  sell  your  grain,  Justinian?"  I 
asked  tentatively. 

"At  New —  "  He  stopped, and  looked  frightened. 

"At  New— what?" 

127 


128  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"The  Master  may  tell  you.  Ask  him,"  said 
the  man,  hastily. 

"  What !  Daren't  you  let  me  know  even  that  ? " 
I  inquired  scornfully.  "  I  had  no  idea  of  getting 
you  into  trouble,  Justinian." 

"I  know,"  returned  the  man.  "But  Marse 
Burton,  he  say  tell  you  nothin'." 

"Many  thanks  to  Marse  Burton,"  I  replied 
ironically.  "  Perhaps  I  had  better  ask  him.  I 
don't  see  the  Master  very  often." 

Justinian  looked  at  me  doubtfully,  and  then 
laughed.  They  all  knew  how  Burton  hated  me. 

"  Marse  Burton's  over  there  at  the  granary,"  he 
waved  his  hand  toward  the  building,  some  hun- 
dreds of  yards  away. 

"Very  well,  I'll  go  over  there,"  I  said,  and  left  him. 

"  Wagon's  mos'  loaded,  Marse  Allan,"  he  called 
to  me.  "  You  can  ride  over  on  it  with  me." 

It  had  been  a  great  satisfaction  to  me  that  in 
spite  of  the  detestation  and  contempt  in  which  the 
white  people  of  the  island  held  me,  the  negroes 
were  invariably  kind  and  courteous.  If  I  had 
been  a  royal  envoy,  they  could  not  have  been 
more  obsequious. 

"  Thank  you,  Justinian,"  I  returned ;  "  I  am 
still  able  to  walk  that  little  distance,  and  your 
wagons  are  too  slow  and  heavy." 


Juggernaut  1 29 

It  was  far  cooler  and  less  dusty  at  the  granary. 
A  wagon  was  standing  at  the  door,  nearly  empty. 
The  lower  floor  was  piled  high  with  the  sacks,  and 
they  had  begun  to  hoist  the  new  ones  into  the 
second  story.  I  watched  the  negroes  hauling  them 
up  through  the  hatchway  in  the  middle  of  the 
building,  but  I  was  exceedingly  careful  to  avoid 
standing  close  to  the  hatch,  or,  indeed,  under  any 
place  whence  a  sack  might  fall  accidentally.  Since 
one  day  when  Burton  had  "accidentally"  thrown 
down  a  sack  of  last  year's  grain  at  me,  which  actu- 
ally grazed  me  as  it  fell,  I  had  been  very  cautious 
as  to  where  I  stood  in  his  neighborhood. 

I  was  not  certain  that  Burton  was  there,  for  I 
could  neither  see  nor  hear  him  ;  but  I  knew  it  was 
his  business  to  be  about  when  the  sacks  were 
being  stored,  and  I  knew,  also,  his  reputation  for 
attending  to  the  business  that  belonged  to  him,  so 
I  felt  sure  that  he  was  somewhere  near.  At  the 
same  time  I  had  not  the  slightest  desire  to  en- 
counter him  :  his  company  was  too  dangerous. 
It  was  mere  curiosity  and  idleness  that  had 
brought  me  there,  and  I  felt  safe  enough  from 
his  dastardly  attempts  at  assassination  as  long 
as  there  were  plenty  of  witnesses  present.  His 
attempts  on  my  life  had  all  been  made  when  we 
were  alone  together. 


130  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

I  stood  outside  the  great  double  doors  where 
the  cool  breeze  could  strike  me,  and  watched  the 
panting  horses  approach,  on  the  run,  the  slight 
incline  that  led  to  the  door,  so  hard  was  it  for 
them  to  pull  the  heavy  wagons  up  that  little  slope. 
The  sacks  were  hoisted  faster  than  the  wagons 
could  bring  them  over  from  the  threshing-floor, 
and  during  the  intervals  of  waiting  the  negroes 
came  out  and  stood  about  the  door,  where  they 
could  get  the  benefit  of  the  breeze,  for  the  day 
was  a  scorching  one.  They  stood  beside  and  be- 
hind me,  but  said  little,  even  to  one  another,  sav- 
ing their  breath  for  the  effort  of  hoisting. 

"Where  is  Burton,  Romulus?"  I  asked. 

He  pointed  toward  the  upper  floor,  without 
speaking. 

"  Doesn't  he  come  down  when  there  is  nothing 
to  do  up  there  ?  " 

"Not  this  mo'nin'.  He  stays  there  till  the 
sacks  is  all  up,  mos'ly." 

I  looked  down  the  road  at  the  wagon  that  was 
approaching.  "That's  an  unusually  heavy  load 
they  have  there,"  I  remarked. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  he  answered,  after  a  careful  survey. 
"  Make  us  sweat,  Marse  Allan,"  he  grinned. 

"  So  it  will,  Romulus.  But  it  won't  be  for  long, 
and  you  will  soon  have  a  chance  of  rest  again.  I 


Juggernaut  131 

don't  believe  any  of  you  will  hurt  yourselves  by 
working  too  hard." 

He  laughed.  "Des  no  need,"  he  said.  "Ole 
Marse,  he  don'  care  see  us  wu'k  too  ha'd." 

"  And  you  don't  want  to  disobey  such  an  order 
as  that,  eh  ?  " 

He  laughed  again.     "  Yuh  she  comes !  " 

The  wagon  was  close  at  hand,  the  horses  pant- 
ing and  straining,  and  the  wheels  sinking  deep 
into  the  sandy  road,  already  cut  by  earlier  trips. 
Justinian,  the  driver,  cracked  his  whip ;  the  horses 
strained,  for  they  knew  that  incline  only  too  well, 
and  they  knew  that  they  must  give  the  wagon  a 
good  impetus,  else  it  would  roll  back,  dragging 
them  with  it,  and  making  double  work  necessary. 
Creaking  loudly,  with  wailing  cries  from  wheels 
insufficiently  greased,  the  wagon  gathered  speed 
as  it  came  rolling  on  to  the  plane,  until  it  was 
dragging  upward  at  an  unusually  fast  walk,  almost 
a  trot.  I  stood  almost  within  arm's  length  of  the 
horses  as  they  were  about  to  pass  through  the  door. 

Suddenly,  without  a  moment's  warning,  I  heard 
a  quick  cry,  and  at  the  same  instant  some  one  fell 
violently  against  me,  striking  me  squarely  between 
the  shoulders.  Standing  loosely,  unprepared  as 
I  was  to  resist  any  shock,  a  touch  might  have 
thrown  me  off  my  balance,  and  this  weight  against 


132  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

me  did  infinitely  more.  Helpless  to  assist  or 
catch  myself  in  any  way,  I  pitched  forward  be- 
tween the  wheels  of  the  rapidly  moving  wagon, 
and  fell  flat  upon  the  ground. 

There  are  times  in  imminent  danger  when  the 
body  seems  to  act  by  a  sort  of  instinct  before  the 
mind  has  actually  grasped  the  situation,  and  yet 
does  exactly  the  best  thing  that  could  be  done 
under  the  circumstances.  I  hardly  knew  that  I 
was  in  danger,  but  as  I  fell  I  must  have  turned, 
so  that  instead  of  landing  upon  my  face  my  back 
struck  the  ground.  As  I  touched  the  hard  soil  I 
looked  upward,  to  see  above  me  the  rapidly  mov- 
ing body  of  the  wagon ;  without  any  reflection  I 
knew  that  my  legs  were  lying  between  the  wheels, 
and  in  a  flash  they  were  drawn  close  to  my  body. 
At  the  same  instant  I  reached  upward  and 
grasped  the  low  axle  as  it  came  above  me,  lifting 
myself  clear  of  the  ground,  and  holding  myself 
thus  until  the  horses  stopped  upon  the  level  floor 
of  the  granary. 

I  let  myself  drop  upon  the  floor  and  looked 
about  me,  hardly  realizing  what  had  happened, 
so  quickly  had  it  all  occurred,  during  the  time  it 
had  taken  the  wagon  to  travel  little  more  than 
its  own  length.  It  seemed  to  me  that  while  the 
wagon  yet  moved  I  had  heard  a  man's  voice  cry 


Juggernaut  133 

out  in  agony,  and  now,  as  I  looked  about  me,  I 
heard  another  voice  —  a  woman's,  this  time ;  a 
voice  that  cried  out  in  horror  —  that  brought  me 
out  from  beneath  the  wagon  and  to  my  feet  in  a 
second. 

A  man  lay  in  the  dust  of  the  incline  where  the 
wagon  had  just  passed,  moaning  loudly  and  hold- 
ing his  wrist  in  the  other  hand.  I  ran  toward 
him,  and  at  the  same  moment  My  Lady  reached 
the  spot  and  bent  over  the  prostrate  figure. 

"  What  is  it,  Theodore  ?  Are  you  hurt  ? 
Speak ! " 

The  man  gathered  himself  up,  groaning,  and 
held  out  his  wrist,  still  clasping  it.  His  face  was 
a  livid  gray. 

My  Lady  shrank  and  cried  out  again,  and  I  had 
much  ado  to  keep  myself  from  doing  the  same. 
The  hand  hung  down  in  a  way  to  show  clearly 
that  the  wrist  was  broken,  if  not  worse,  and  I 
could  see  blood  flowing  freely  from  it  between  the 
fingers  that  clasped  it. 

The  man  turned  his  face,  distorted  with  pain, 
from  one  to  the  other  of  us,  mutely  imploring 
assistance.  I  could  not  pass  by  such  an  appeal. 
My  Lady  stood  helpless,  and  I  went  to  his  side. 

"  Let  me  see  it,  Theodore.  I  will  do  what  I 
can." 


134  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

He  held  the  wrist  firmly,  but  suffered  me  to 
lift  the  hand.  As  I  did  so,  the  hideousness  of  the 
thing  turned  me  sick.  It  was  worse  than  broken  : 
the  heavily  weighted  iron  tire,  cut  almost  square 
on  the  edge,  had  crushed  and  cut  through  bone 
and  tendon  and  muscle.  They  were  severed  as 
cleanly  as  though  with  an  axe ;  only  some  slight 
shreds  of  flesh  and  skin  held  the  hand  to  the  wrist. 

"  Quick,  fetch  me  water,  and  stuff  for  bandages, 
and  rum,  some  of  you  !  "  I  cried. 

For  once,  no  one  thought  of  questioning  my 
right  to  give  orders.  Some  of  them  started  off 
pell-mell ;  the  rest  crowded  about  us. 

"  Stand  back!  "  I  commanded.  "  Give  him  room 
and  air.  One  of  you  fetch  a  sack  of  grain."  It 
was  the  nearest  thing  at  hand  to  form  a  seat  that 
I  could  see.  I  made  him  sit  down  on  the  sack 
and  lean  against  a  post. 

"  Now,  which  of  you  will  hold  his  wrist,  tight 
and  firm,  while  I  dress  it  ? " 

"  I,"  said  a  quiet  voice  behind  me.  I  looked 
around  ;  I  had  almost  forgotten  her  presence. 

"  You,  My  Lady  !     It  is  no  sight  for  you  ! " 

"  I  will  do  it,"  she  said.  "  He  is  our  servant." 
As  though  that  fact  were  reason  enough  for  her 
doing  and  daring  anything.  It  might  have  been 
for  a  man,  but  for  her  — 


Juggernaut  135 

"  You  cannot !  "  I  said.  "  You  will  faint.  The 
hand  must  be  amputated." 

She  stepped  forward  and  took  hold  of  the  wrist. 

"  The  man  suffers :  be  quick,  if  you  can  help 
him,"  she  commanded,  in  a  tone  of  reproof.  She 
was  very  pale,  but  determined.  There  was  noth- 
ing for  it  but  to  accept  the  situation ;  after  all,  if 
she  did  faint,  there  were  plenty  to  take  her  place. 
She  knelt  beside  him,  and  held  the  arm  firmly 
across  her  knee,  while  the  blood  ran  down  her 
dainty  gown  in  long  streaks  of  crimson. 

"  Press  your  fingers  here,  your  thumb  there  !  "  I 
said,  quickly.  "  Hold  them  so  for  a  moment." 

The  blood  flowed  less  and  less  freely  as  she 
pressed  the  arteries.  I  threw  off  my  coat,  and 
tore  some  strips  from  it  to  make  a  tourniquet, 
winding  them  about  a  couple  of  pebbles  to  pro- 
duce the  necessary  compression  at  the  right  spots. 
The  blood  merely  trickled  now;  there  was  no 
danger  of  his  bleeding  to  death  at  least,  and 
again  I  tried  to  get  My  Lady  to  leave  us,  but 
she  would  not. 

"  Proceed,  sir,  if  you  feel  yourself  competent," 
she  protested.  "  If  you  do  not,  I  will  summon  my 
father,  though  I  would  spare  him  the  sight  —  and 
the  knowledge  —  of  it,  if  it  might  be." 

"  I  believe  I  am  competent  for  this,  since  the 


136  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

sharp  tire  made  such  a  clean  cut,"  I  said.  "It 
will  require  little  surgical  knowledge,  as  the  thing 
stands ;  a  more  complicated  case  I  would  not  have 
undertaken.  But  I  wish  you  would  let  some  of 
these  men  take  your  place.  There  are  plenty  of 
them,  and  there  is  no  necessity  for  harrowing  your 
feelings." 

She  shook  her  head  obstinately,  and  I  was  com- 
pelled to  go  on.  I  beckoned  the  negroes  to  one 
side,  within  the  granary.  I  did  not  want  Theo- 
dore to  hear  me  :  he  was  already  suffering  enough 
from  pain  and  fright. 

"  Which  of  you  has  a  sharp  knife  ? "  I  asked,  in 
a  low  tone.  Almost  every  man  of  them  put  his 
hand  in  his  pocket  and  produced  a  knife  of  some 
kind.  I  held  out  my  hand. 

"  Give  me  a  sharp  one,"  I  said,  and  was  about 
to  lay  hold  of  the  nearest  when  it  was  suddenly 
withdrawn  from  my  reach  and  returned  to  the 
owner's  pocket. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  I  exclaimed,  in  aston- 
ishment. "  Are  you  afraid  I  will  spoil  it  ?  I  will 
not,  but  if  I  should  the  Master  would  give  you  a 
better  one." 

"  'Tain't  that,  Marse  Allan,"  said  one  of  them. 
They  all  appeared  much  embarrassed. 

"  Well,  what  is  it  ?     Be  quick  !  " 


Juggernaut  137 

They  hesitated  for  a  moment,  but  they  knew 
that  time  was  precious. 

"  Marse  Burton,  he  say  not  to  let  you  have  a 
knife,  suh,  fo'  fea'  yo'  hu't  some  one,"  said  one  of 
them,  at  last,  hanging  down  his  head. 

My  heart  swelled  with  rage.  I  strode  out  to 
where  my  patient  sat,  with  My  Lady  holding  his 
wrist. 

"  My  Lady  !  "  She  started  at  the  harshness  of 
my  angry  tone.  "  My  Lady,  I  have  asked  these 
men  for  a  knife  to  use  in  this  business,  and  not 
one  of  them  will  let  me  have  one.  They  say  they 
have  orders  not  to  let  me  have  any  weapon,  for 
fear  I  will  hurt  some  one,"  and  the  sneering  tone 
that  I  could  not  keep  out  of  my  voice  must  have 
cut  her  sorely,  for  she  flushed  deeply,  and  looked 
first  very  much  ashamed,  and  then  very  angry. 

"  It  is  not  my  doing,  sir,  nor  even  with  my 
knowledge.  I  am  sorry,"  she  said.  "  Come  here, 
quickly ! "  to  the  negroes,  who  had  been  watching 
us  apprehensively,  doubtful  as  to  whether  they 
had  done  rightly  or  wrongly  in  refusing  me.  They 
slunk  toward  us. 

"  How  many  of  you  have  knives  ? " 
They  were  produced  as  before. 

"  Give  me  them,  every  one,  instantly ! "  She 
held  out  her  hand,  and  one  by  one  the  knives 


138  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

were  laid  in  it,  to  the  number  of  a  dozen  or  more. 
My  Lady  held  them  out  to  me.  "Take  your 
choice,  Mr.  Darke." 

I  selected  one,  and  laid  the  others  beside  me 
while  I  tested  the  blade,  finding  it  quite  sharp 
enough  for  my  purpose.  Theodore  leaned  back 
heavily  against  the  post,  almost  insensible.  Close 
by  I  saw  the  messengers  returning  from  the  house 
with  the  things  I  had  sent  them  for. 

"  Turn  your  face  away,  My  Lady,  but  hold  fast. 
It  will  take  but  a  moment." 

I  knew  the  bruised  flesh  could  feel  no  pain  for 
a  while.  I  held  the  drooping  hand  in  mine,  and 
with  a  few  quick  strokes  finished  severing  it,  and 
cast  it  to  one  side  where  neither  she  nor  Theodore 
could  see  it.  The  slaves  had  brought  in  the  mean- 
time bandages  and  water  which  they  placed  at  my 
side. 

"  Give  him  a  drink  of  rum,"  I  ordered.  "  A  big 
one.  And,  My  Lady,  I  beg  you  to  take  some, 
also." 

It  was  good  for  both  of  them,  and  My  Lady 
looked  less  pale  while  I  cleansed  the  wound  and 
bandaged  it,  drawing  the  edges  of  the  skin  as 
close  together  as  possible.  Under  the  circum- 
stances I  thought  it  was  rather  neatly  dressed. 
I  knew  I  had  seen  much  worse  wounds  more  care- 


Juggernaut  139 

lessly  attended  to  that  had  healed  perfectly  ;  and 
there  was  no  reason  why  a  strong,  healthy  man, 
such  as  I  knew  Theodore  to  be,  should  have  any 
great  trouble  with  it. 

By  my  directions,  again,  the  sacks  were  hastily 
tossed  from  the  wagon  and  Theodore  laid  on  the 
floor  of  it,  and  then  we  took  our  way  toward  the 
slaves'  quarters.  As  the  wagon  passed  through 
the  door,  I  turned  to  My  Lady,  and  pointed  to  the 
little  heap  of  knives  that  lay  beside  the  place 
where  Theodore  had  sat. 

"  I  have  left  them  all  there,  My  Lady,"  I  said, 
with  meaning  that  she  understood  perfectly.  She 
gave  me  a  look  of  reproach  that  hurt  me  more 
than  anything  she  could  have  said.  Perhaps  she 
guessed  it,  for  she  contented  herself  with  that,  and 
did  not  reply  otherwise. 

"  Let  him  rest  quietly,"  I  bade  Justinian,  as  the 
wagon  moved  away.  "The  wound  will  need  no 
dressing  for  a  day  or  two,  and  then  I  will  see 
to  it." 

"  And  tell  Burton  —  where  is  Burton  ? "  said 
My  Lady.  Somehow  we  had  all  forgotten  that 
he  was  supposed  to  be  in  the  barn ;  now  his 
absence  seemed  strange. 

"  I  don'  know,  My  Lady,"  said  Justinian.  "  He 
was  heah  this  mo'nin'." 


140  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  He  was  heah  jus'  a  little  while  back,"  said 
Romulus.  "  'Twas  him  'at  frew  The'dore  under 
the  wagon." 

My  Lady  looked  as  though  a  bomb  had  burst 
at  her  feet.  I  laughed  aloud. 

"  Ah,  I  thought  so  !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Thought  what  ?  "  asked  My  Lady,  quickly. 

"Thought  he  must  have  had  a  hand  in  it." 

"And  why?" 

"  It  is  very  plain,"  I  explained,  with  an  assump- 
tion of  carelessness.  "  He  did  not  mean  to  hurt 
Theodore  :  he  meant  me  to  be  the  victim." 

"  Mr.  Darke  !  " 

"  You  think  I  am  too  suspicious  ?  "  I  laughed 
again.  "  Oh,  no ;  it  is  not  the  first  time  he  has 
plotted  against  me  !  " 

"  Mr.  Darke,  your  unfounded  suspicions  of  us 
pain  me  greatly,"  said  My  Lady. 

"  I  have  no  suspicions  as  to  you  or  your  father," 
I  returned.  "  For  the  matter  of  that,  I  do  not 
suspect  Burton  :  I  know !  " 

"  It  is  impossible  you  can  believe  such  a  thing !  " 

"  Is  it  ?  Well,  perhaps  it  is,  or  perhaps  a 
miracle  has  happened.  As  I  said,  it  is  not  the 
first  time.  Perhaps  you  are  not  aware  that  I  my- 
self was  standing  in  front  of  Theodore,  and  was 
thrown  entirely  under  the  wagon  ?  If  those 


Juggernaut  141 

wheels  had  caught  me  there  —  I  left  the  con- 
sequences to  her  imagination.  "  Romulus  says 
it  was  Burton  that  fell  against  Theodore;  he  'fell' 
hard  enough  to  throw  me  so  far,  and  even  to  hurt 
poor  Theodore,  against  whom  he  could  have  no 
enmity.  As  I  understand  it,  his  place  was  in 
the  loft.  Why  was  he  on  the  ground,  and  why 
did  he  disappear  after  causing  the  maiming  of  a 
slave  who  was  working  under  his  direction  ?  " 

"  You  make  out  a  terrible  case  against  him," 
said  My  Lady,  thoughtfully.  "  But  I  know  you 
are  wrong;  your  prejudices  blind  you." 

"  Prejudices — my  prejudices  !  "  I  exclaimed  bit- 
terly. "  That  comes  well  from  one  of  those  who 
condemned  a  stranger  to  imprisonment  without 
allowing  him  to  speak  in  his  own  behalf!  But 
there ;  I  must  not  go  into  that  question,  or  I  may 
forget  courtesy." 

"At  least  you  will  allow  me,  in  my  father's 
name  and  my  own,  to  thank  you  for  your  kindness 
to  Theodore,"  she  said. 

"  It  is  entirely  unnecessary,"  I  replied  coldly. 
"  When  I  wished  to  thank  you  for  saving  me  from 
the  quicksand,  you  told  me  you  '  would  do  as 
much  for  any  of  the  slaves.'  May  I  not  also  be 
allowed  the  privilege  of  assisting  one  of  the  slaves 
on  occasion  ? " 


142  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

My  Lady  looked  downcast,  almost  sorrowful. 

"  Doubtless  I  have  said  many  things  that  were 
far  from  courteous,"  she  murmured,  looking  down 
at  the  ground.  "  Some  of  them  were  so  intended 
at  the  time,  some  not  so.  But  I  regret  them  all, 
and  it  is  painful  to  me  to  think  that  you  should 
have  them  always  in  mind,  as  you  seem  to  do." 

"  I  have  had  few  pleasant  things  to  think  of 
since  coming  here,"  I  answered  gently.  "What 
few  there  were,  I  owe  to  you.  But  I  did  not 
mean  to  be  rude  or  quarrelsome ;  and  when  I 
break  out  in  that  way,  I  beg  you  to  believe  that 
it  arises  from  a  certain  overwrought  feeling  of 
irritation  begotten  of  my  imprisonment.  It  is 
but  lately  that  you  talked  with  me  in  all  kindness 
and  courtesy,  and  the  memory  of  that  one  time 
is  very  pleasant  to  me.  Only  our  ideas  as  to 
facts  and  causes  are  so  radically  opposed  that 
we  have  no  common  ground  upon  which  we  could 
meet  to  talk  of  this  question,  or  hold  even  a  short 
conversation  without  a  clashing  of  them  ;  and  this 
cannot  be  amended  until  one  or  the  other  of  us 
shall  come  to  view  these  things  from  a  different 
standpoint." 

"  I  know ;  yet  may  we  not  both  be  sincere  in 
our  beliefs?" 

"  Undoubtedly.     I  am  sure  we  are  both  sincere. 


Juggernaut  143 

Yet  I  beg  you  to  observe  this :  my  views  of  this 
matter  are  grounded  on  absolute  knowledge  of  my 
own  identity  and  actions ;  yet  you  and  the  Master 
will  not  believe  one  iota  of  them,  and  so  believe 
that  I  and  my  story  alike  are  false.  Your  belief 
and  his  cannot  have  any  such  certainty,  since  it 
concerns  another  person,  and  it  is  founded  on 
what  I  know  to  be  a  mistaken  assumption  that 
I  am  some  man  of  whose  existence,  even,  I  know 
nothing.  Yet  observe  that  while  I  absolutely 
deny  the  correctness  of  your  assumptions,  I  do 
feel  sure  that  you  and  he  believe  in  their  truth. 
If  there  is  any  discourtesy  here,  it  surely  is  not 
on  my  part." 

"  No,  Mr.  Darke,"  she  replied.  "  I  have  not 
accused  you  of  anything  of  the  sort.  It  seems 
rather  that  I  and  my  father  are  on  trial  before 
you  in  that  matter.  For  myself,  I  have  heard 
your  account  of  yourself  and  the  manner  of  your 
coming;  otherwise  I  have  no  knowledge  of  the 
matter.  My  father  has  told  me  nothing  of  his 
reasons.  But,  right  or  wrong,  I  must  stand  by 
my  father  and  his  word." 

"  I  would  not  have  it  otherwise,  My  Lady,"  I 
replied  eagerly.  "  But  you  may  remember  that 
this  present  discussion  did  not  arise  from  any 
mention  of  yourself  or  the  Master.  I  doubted 


T44 

neither  of  you.  I  spoke  of  Burton  only,  and  you 
accused  me  of  prejudice  against  him.  I  know 
what  I  know,  and  it  is  in  my  mind  to  speak  to 
your  father  concerning  it.  Meanwhile,  I  will  not 
distress  you  further  by  more  mention  of  it." 

We  had  been  walking  side  by  side  down  the 
road,  and  were  now  near  the  slaves'  quarters.  I 
knew  she  would  wish  to  see  Theodore  made  as 
comfortable  as  possible.  We  parted  with  befitting 
ceremony. 

That  afternoon  Romulus  sought  me  at  my  cabin. 
On  his  arm  he  bore  a  coat  of  dark  blue  broadcloth, 
such  as  I  had  not  seen  for  many  a  day. 

"With  the  compliments  of  the  Master,  to  re- 
place the  coat  destroyed  in  the  Master's  service," 
he  said,  with  a  ludicrous  attempt  at  stateliness  that 
made  me  laugh,  as  he  presented  it.  He  laughed 
as  well,  when  his  little  speech  was  made. 

"  Mr.  Darke's  compliments  to  the  sender,  and 
reply  that  he  is  profoundly  indebted  to  her,"  I  re- 
turned ;  and  Romulus  grinned  again  more  broadly, 
knowing  that  I  had  seen  through  the  little  ruse. 
For  I  was  sure  that  the  coat  had  been  sent  by  My 
Lady,  and  equally  sure  that  the  Master  had  not 
yet  heard  so  much  as  a  whisper  of  the  event  that 
had  caused  me  to  tear  my  old  coat. 


IX 

RHADAMANTHUS 

IT  seemed  to  me  quite  time  to  make  some  kind 
of  a  protest.  Here  were  five  different  attempts 
on  my  life  —  all  made  by  the  same  man,  and  all 
made  by  insidious,  underhand  means.  I  did  not 
want  to  stay  on  the  island :  nothing  would  have 
pleased  me  better  than  to  discover  some  means 
of  escaping  from  it.  But,  if  I  must  stay,  there 
would  be  a  certain  amount  of  satisfaction  in  know- 
ing just  what  was  to  come,  even  though  it  were 
the  worst.  The  Master  evidently  held  the  whole 
island  and  its  inhabitants  in  the  hollow  of  his 
hand.  If  he  had  intended  that  I  should  be  done 
away  with,  it  would  be  the  easiest  thing  possible 
to  have  it  done  quietly  and  quickly,  since  there 
was  no  one  within  reach  to  know  of  it,  or  to  ques- 
tion his  action  even  if  it  were  known.  But  he  had 
spared  me,  and  had  given  orders  for  my  sustenance 
and  safe-keeping ;  hence  it  must  be  intended  that 
I  should  live.  Any  wanton  attempts  against  my 
life  must  be  contrary  to  his  wishes. 

L  145 


146  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

Thus  I  reasoned,  and  put  the  result  into  prac- 
tice promptly.  There  was  no  time  to  be  lost ;  any 
day  might  see  me  laid  out  in  state,  a  victim  to 
Burton's  malevolence.  I  waylaid  the  Master  that 
very  evening,  while  he  and  My  Lady  were  on  one 
of  their  short  strolls  about  the  grounds.  I  walked 
straight  up  to  them  and  removed  my  cap,  making 
such  a  bow  as  I  had  been  taught  in  my  boyhood 
to  use  in  a  ballroom  or  on  occasions  of  great 
ceremony. 

When  she  saw  me  approaching,  My  Lady  turned 
her  eyes  away,  as  though  unwilling  to  have  me 
address  her.  The  action  struck  me  as  almost 
childish,  and  made  me  smile  involuntarily.  It 
hurt  me,  too,  after  our  late  conversations,  though 
perhaps  it  was  only  loyalty  to  her  father  that 
made  her  do  so.  She  need  not  have  feared,  how- 
ever ;  my  business  was  with  the  Master,  though  I 
was  rather  glad  that  she  should  hear  it. 

The  Master  saw  that  I  had  matters  of  impor- 
tance in  my  mind,  and  waited  for  me  to  broach 
them.  I  plunged  straightway  into  the  midst  of 
things. 

"  Sir,  when  I  was  first  brought  to  your  notice, 
I  understood  you  to  say  that  if  I  had  any  com- 
plaint to  make  of  my  treatment  by  your  servants, 
it  would  be  heard,  and  the  matter  amended." 


Rhadamanthus  147 

"  It  is  so,"  he  returned  gravely. 

"  I  also  understood  you  to  say  that  I  should 
not  be  harmed  unless  I  offered  to  use  violence 
myself." 

"  I  gave  orders  to  that  effect,"  he  answered. 
"You  heard  me  do  so." 

"I  did  hear  it,"  I  said,  "and  I  believed  at  the 
time  that  the  order  was  given  in  good  faith.  I 
have  since  had  reason  to  doubt  it." 

If  I  had  deliberately  intended  to  rouse  him  to 
anger,  I  could  not  have  taken  a  more  effective 
way.  The  remark  was  a  rash  one,  spoken  on  the 
spur  of  the  moment  and  without  reflection.  It 
was  not  likely  to  help  my  cause,  and  I  heartily 
regretted  it  the  moment  the  words  had  issued ; 
and,  in  truth,  I  had  not  meant  them  in  the  way 
they  sounded.  The  Master  flushed  with  indigna- 
tion, and  My  Lady  shot  a  glance  of  reproof  and 
anger  at  me.  The  old  man  took  a  step  toward 
me ;  I  believe  he  was  ready  to  strike  me,  and  I 
could  not  have  blamed  him  had  he  done  so.  But 
the  girl's  hand  restrained  him,  and  the  girl's  voice 
forestalled  his  speech. 

"  Mr.  Darke,  did  you  come  here  to  insult  an 
old  man  ?  " 

She  was  both  angry  and  disdainful. 

"  Indeed,  madam,"  I  protested,  "  I  had  no  such 


148  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

thought.  If  my  words  seemed  to  convey  an  insult 
(and  I  see  now  how  they  might  be  so  construed), 
I  beg  you  both  to  believe  that  it  was  unintended, 
and  I  apologize  most  humbly  for  my  fault.  Sir" 
(I  turned  to  the  Master),  "my  words  were  ill 
chosen.  I  did  not  mean  so  much  to  doubt  the 
good  faith  of  the  command  as  the  good  faith  of 
the  obedience  to  it.  Possibly  your  servants  may 
have  supposed  that  your  order  was  not  intended 
to  be  obeyed  literally ;  possibly  some  of  them  are 
afflicted  with  an  excess  of  zeal  in  your  cause,  and 
took  it  upon  themselves  to  serve  you  in  their  own 
way  by  disobeying  you." 

There  was  a  long  silence,  while  the  eyes  of 
those  two  bore  upon  me  fixedly.  If  I  had  been 
guilty  of  any  meanness  or  crime,  I  believe  that 
steady,  questioning  regard  would  have  broken  me 
down.  As  it  was,  I  managed  to  sustain  it  without 
flinching;  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  Master 
was  somewhat  surprised  and  a  little  disappointed 
that  I  did  so,  and  My  Lady  a  little  relieved. 

"  State  your  complaint,  sir,"  said  the  Master,  at 
length.  He  spoke  coldly,  but  I  fancied  his  man- 
ner was  not  as  hostile  as  it  had  been  at  first. 

"  I  am  here  on  your  island  by  no  will  of  my 
own,"  I  began.  "  I  ask  nothing  better  than  to 
leave  it.  But  since  you  have  both  the  will  and 


Rhadamanthus  149 

the  power  to  keep  me  here,  it  seems  only  just 
that  you  should  look  to  my  safety,  since  you  have 
put  it  out  of  my  power  to  guard  myself.  It  is 
true  I  heard  you  give  orders  that  I  was  not  to  be 
harmed,  and  I  believe  you  fully  intended  it  to  be 
so ;  but  what  confidence  can  I  feel  in  such  a  com- 
mand when  it  is  deliberately  disobeyed  —  and  not 
once  only  —  by  your  servants  ?  The  sword  of 
Damocles  was  a  mere  plaything  compared  with 
what  hangs  over  me !  He,  at  least,  had  no  prom- 
ise of  safety,  and  he  knew  the  manner  of  the 
death  that  threatened  him ;  I  cannot  even  guess 
that.  I  have  no  wish  to  harm  any  one ;  but 
cannot  you  see  that  such  a  state  of  things  is 
likely  to  drive  even  the  most  peaceably  disposed 
man  to  desperation  ?  If  I  must  die,  I  hope  I 
shall  be  able  to  meet  my  fate  as  a  man  should ; 
but  if  I  am  to  be  kept  on  such  a  continual  strain 
of  expectation  of  I  know  not  what,  you  need  not 
be  surprised  if  it  should  unhinge  my  mind.  And 
if  harm  should  come  of  it,  you  alone  will  be  re- 
sponsible for  what  may  happen.  I  have  warned 
you !  " 

I  had  warmed  as  I  went  on,  and  at  the  last  my 
tones  must  have  carried  to  both  of  them  a  con- 
viction of  my  truth  and  earnestness.  Both  father 
and  daughter  stared  at  me  in  genuine  astonish- 


150  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

ment,  but  neither  of  them  attempted  to  inter- 
rupt me. 

"  But  I  do  not  understand  you,  Mr.  Darke,"  said 
the  Master,  at  length.  "  Do  you  complain  of  the 
conduct  of  any  of  my  servants  ?  If  so,  state  your 
accusation,  and  I  promise  you  I  will  have  it  in- 
vestigated directly,  and  corrected.  I  am  com- 
pelled to  keep  you  a  prisoner,  much  against  my 
will ;  but  I  have  no  wish  to  make  your  captivity 
more  irksome  than  is  necessary." 

"My  detention,  by  itself,  is  a  sufficient  cause 
of  complaint,"  I  answered ;  "  but  I  pass  over 
that  for  the  present,  since  I  know  that  you  will 
not  listen  to  reason  on  that  subject.  What  galls 
me  most,  now,  is  the  later  and  deeper  treachery." 

"  Treachery  !  "  exclaimed  the  Master,  straighten- 
ing his  bent  form  suddenly. 

"Yes,  treachery!"  I  retorted  hotly.  "There 
is  no  other  word  for  it  in  my  vocabulary.  If  you 
and  your  people  seek  my  life,  take  it  openly  and 
quickly ;  but  this  suspense  is  unbearable." 

"  No  one  seeks  your  life,  Mr.  Darke,"  replied 
the  Master,  soothingly,  as  though  trying  to  reason 
with  a  frightened  child.  It  was  plain  that  he 
thought  me  the  victim  of  some  wild  hallucination, 
and  it  did  not  make  me  the  cooler  for  knowing  it. 

"  So  ? "  I  said  with  a  sneer,  half  turning  away. 


Rhadamanthus  151 

"  I  see,  then,  that  your  promise  of  safety  was 
a  lie.  I  shall  know  what  to  expect  hereafter." 

The  Master's  face  flushed  again,  and  his  hands 
clinched,  but  he  restrained  himself  with  a  great 
effort. 

"  Wait,  Mr.  Darke !  A  prisoner  must  be  al- 
lowed certain  privileges  of  speech,  I  suppose," 
he  said  coldly.  "  As  I  said  before,  if  you  have 
a  complaint  to  make,  state  it,  as  concisely  as 
possible." 

"  I  will,  then  !  "  I  returned.  "  Despite  your 
order  that  I  should  not  be  molested,  my  life  has 
been  attempted  three  times  within  a  month,  and 
other  times  before  that.  Is  that  definite  enough?" 

"Almost  too  definite,"  he  replied,  with  an  in- 
credulous shrug  of  his  shoulders.  "And  who 
were  your  assailants  ?  " 

"There  was  only  one,"  I  said.     "  Burton." 

"  Burton  !  "  they  exclaimed  simultaneously. 

"  Yes,  Burton !     Why  not  ? " 

The  Master  turned  to  My  Lady.  "  Call  him," 
he  commanded,  with  a  smile. 

My  Lady  raised  the  little  ivory  whistle  that 
swung  always  from  her  belt,  and  blew  two  shrill 
blasts.  Whether  Burton  had  been  watching  us 
I  do  not  know ;  probably  he  was,  for  he  appeared 
with  suspicious  promptness,  coming  from  the  house. 


152  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  Burton,  Mr.  Darke  has  an  accusation  to  make. 
State  it,  Mr.  Darke,  if  you  please." 

"  About  a  month  ago  I  stood  in  the  west  gran- 
ary beneath  the  hatchway,  which  was  open.  A 
great  sack  of  wheat  was  thrown  down  at  me,  and 
missed  me  by  a  bare  hair's-breadth." 

The  Master  looked  at  Burton  inquiringly. 

"  What  has  that  to  do  with  me  ? "  said  the  man, 
quietly. 

"You  were  the  only  man  on  that  floor  of  the 
granary.  Immediately  after  the  sack  fell,  you 
peered  over  the  edge  of  the  hatchway  to  see 
whether  it  had  accomplished  your  purpose." 

He  turned  to  the  Master,  and  the  Master  nodded 
to  him.  "  Answer !  "  he  commanded. 

"  When  I  heard  the  sack  fall,  of  course  I  ran  to 
the  hatch  to  see  what  had  happened.  That  is  all 
I  know  about  the  matter." 

"  You  were  on  the  spot  when  it  fell,"  I  retorted ; 
"  for  I  had  barely  time  to  take  two  steps  before  I 
looked  up,  and  I  saw  you  there  then." 

He  shook  his  head  contemptuously,  but  said 
nothing. 

"  Answer  !  "  said  the  Master,  again. 

He  spoke  to  the  Master,  not  to  me. 

"  The  man  was  probably  frightened,  and  was  not 
capable  of  estimating  how  much  time  had  passed 


RhadamantJius  153 

before  he  saw  me.  It  was  as  I  said,"  he  returned 
sullenly. 

"  I  did  not  see  him  throw  it  down,  of  course,"  I 
said  in  my  turn,  being  willing  to  give  even  the 
devil  his  due.  "  But  it  is  very  curious  that  it 
should  have  fallen  just  when  I  was  beneath  the 
hatch." 

"  Stranger  things  than  that  have  happened,  and 
will  again,"  he  rejoined  carelessly. 

"  Also,  none  of  the  slaves  had  left  any  bags 
near  the  hatch,"  I  went  on,  watching  him  narrowly. 

Burton  gave  a  slight  start.  I  did  not  know 
whether  the  others  noticed  it ;  but  I  was  looking 
for  signs  of  guilt,  and  saw  this  one  plainly. 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ? "  he  demanded  hastily. 

"  I  have  asked  every  man,  woman,  and  child, 
among  the  slaves  on  the  plantation,  and  they  all 
denied  leaving  the  bag  there.  They  say,  too,  that 
the  bags  are  always  stowed  carefully  at  the  ends 
of  the  granary,  away  from  the  hatch,  and  that  you 
always  see  that  it  is  done" 

I  thought  I  had  him  securely,  this  time,  for  he 
had  admitted  the  fall  of  the  bag ;  but  he  did  not 
take  the  trouble  to  meet  the  obvious  inference. 
Perhaps  he  was  too  confident  of  the  Master's  im- 
plicit faith  in  his  fidelity  to  orders. 

"  I  deny  this  also  !  "  he  said,  with  calm  insolence. 


154  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  It  seems  to  be  that  my  word  is  put  against  theirs, 
and  the  Master  can  judge  which  is  the  most  trust- 
worthy." He  glanced  toward  the  Master  and 
laughed,  as  one  sure  of  his  victory.  The  latter 
looked  slightly  troubled,  but  he  made  no  remark 
on  the  matter  in  hand. 

"  Is  that  all,  Mr.  Darke  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  No,"  I  said,  "  that  is  only  the  beginning ! 
Within  less  than  a  week  afterward  I  found  a  cop- 
perhead snake  snugly  hidden  between  the  blankets 
of  my  bed." 

I  saw  My  Lady  shudder,  but  Burton  only 
laughed  again. 

"  Really,  this  is  absurd,"  he  laughed  lightly. 
"  Do  you  mean  to  make  me  responsible  for  the 
movements  of  all  living  things  on  the  island  ?  I 
am  no  snake-charmer.  When  I  see  a  snake,  I  kill 
it,  if  I  can ! "  His  eyes  told  me  plainly  that  he 
included  me  among  the  reptiles  named. 

"  The  blankets  had  been  moved  since  the  morn- 
ing," I  returned. 

"  Are  you  perfectly  sure  of  that  ?  "  demanded 
the  Master,  whose  brow  was  wrinkled  by  a  frown 
of  perplexity. 

"  I  am  sure,"  I  returned  positively.  "  I  have 
always  turned  the  edges  of  my  blankets  in  a  cer- 
tain way ;  this  time  they  were  laid  flat,  and  I  no- 


RJiadamanthus  155 

ticed  the  change  even  before  I  discovered  the 
snake.  The  creature  was  put  there  by  human 
hands.  Who  did  it,  and  why,  is  for  you  to  dis- 
cover or  infer."  I  turned  to  the  Master,  but  he 
only  shook  his  head. 

"Your  accusations  are  very  vague,  Mr.  Darke," 
he  said.  "The  fall  of  a  sack  of  wheat,  the  creep- 
ing of  a  snake  into  a  warm  place  —  these  things 
are  common  enough.  You  yourself  admit  that 
you  have  seen  nothing  to  connect  Burton  directly 
with  these  accidents." 

"Very  good,"  I  retorted.  "I  will  be  more  defi- 
nite with  the  next.  Two  months  ago  I  attempted 
to  escape  from  this  island  by  swimming.  A  canoe 
was  driven  at  me  with  all  the  speed  that  one  man 
could  give  it.  The  stem  struck  my  shoulder ;  if  it 
had  struck  my  head,  I  should  have  gone  down  like 
a  stone.  This  man  was  the  occupant  of  the  canoe." 

Again  he  laughed.  "  Pursuing  an  escaped  pris- 
oner on  a  dark  night  is  no  joking  matter.  If  you 
had  not  tried  to  escape,  you  would  have  been  in 
no  danger." 

"You  never  mentioned  this  to  me,  Burton," 
said  the  Master,  reproachfully. 

"You  have  had  enough  troubles,"  replied  Bur- 
ton. "  As  he  did  not  escape,  I  thought  it  folly 
to  disturb  you  by  the  story.  When  I  gave  up  the 


156  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

search  in  the  water,  I  thought  he  was  drowned, 
for  he  gave  no  sign  of  his  presence  ;  indeed,  I  do 
not  know,  even  now,  how  he  found  his  way  back 
to  the  island  from  such  a  distance." 

"  I  can  tell  you  something  about  it,  you  scoun- 
drel," I  cried,  in  a  sudden  access  of  rage.  "You 
yourself  helped  me  without  knowing  it !  " 

"  How  ?  "  he  demanded  eagerly. 

"  I  am  not  going  to  tell  you  all  I  know ;  the 
trick  may  be  of  use  to  me  another  time !  But  I 
assure  you  that  you  were  the  instrument  of  my 
salvation,  as  you  were  that  of  my  danger." 

I  knew  by  his  eyes  that  he  would  have  given 
anything  to  clutch  my  throat  with  his  powerful 
hands.  But  he  had  his  own  game  to  play,  and 
he  watched  the  moves  warily. 

"You  should  not  have  attempted  to  escape," 
he  rejoined.  "You  were  warned.  You  risked 
the  consequences,  you  know,  and  you  just  missed 
suffering  from  some  of  them.  If  you  saw  my 
canoe  coming,  you  should  have  had  no  trouble  in 
avoiding  it ;  if  you  could  not  see  it,  how  could 
you  expect  me  to  see  you  ? " 

"You  could  see  me  well  enough  to  follow  me," 
I  retorted. 

"I  followed  the  faint  line  of  starlight  reflected 
in  your  wake,"  he  returned  calmly. 


Rkadamantkus  157 

"Yet  you  drove  over  that  line  at  full  speed," 
I  said. 

"  It  was  quite  time  to  try  to  recapture  you," 
he  laughed.  "  You  were  nearly  two  miles  from 
shore." 

I  was  silent  for  a  while,  during  which  he  re- 
garded me  with  a  malicious  glance.  He  had 
plainly  worsted  me  at  every  point,  by  giving  a 
perfectly  natural  and  probable  explanation  of 
every  move  of  his.  I  could  see  the  Master  and 
My  Lady  watching  both  of  us  closely,  but  I  could 
not  tell  from  their  manner  what  impression  I  had 
made  upon  them.  To  myself  I  was  obliged  to 
own  that  from  their  point  of  view  my  grounds  for 
accusing  Burton  must  seem  singularly  weak. 

"  Is  there  anything  more,  Mr.  Darke  ? "  queried 
the  Master. 

I  collected  my  thoughts  with  a  struggle. 

"  Yes.  During  the  first  month  of  my  deten- 
tion here,  while  I  was  wandering  about  the  island, 
I  fell  into  a  quicksand  near  the  north  end  of  the 
island  —  probably  you  know  the  place?"  The 
Master  nodded,  and  My  Lady  flushed  a  little. 

"You  should  have  been  warned  to  avoid  that 
spot."  He  glanced  reproachfully  at  Burton. 

"  I  forgot  it,"  said  the  latter,  apologetically.  "  I 
am  not  used  to  having  strangers  about,  and  every 


I $8  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

one  on  the  plantation  is  so  familiar  with  the  dan- 
ger that  I  never  thought  of  warning  Mr.  Darke." 

"  It  was  a  grave  oversight,"  remarked  the  Mas- 
ter. "  Perhaps  I  am  equally  culpable,  for  I  did 
not  think  of  it,  either.  But,  since  you  escaped 
the  danger,  that  is  hardly  a  reason  for  distrusting 
either  of  us,  Mr.  Darke." 

"  Oh,  I  did  not  mean  to  accuse  any  one  merely 
on  that  account,"  I  returned  quickly.  "  My 
point  is  this :  when  I  approached  the  quicksand, 
Burton  was  following  me ;  he  saw  my  danger, 
and  failed  to  warn  me,  though  he  could  not  have 
helped  knowing  what  must  happen.  And  after 
I  was  fairly  in  the  trap,  he  came  to  the  edge  of 
the  dunes  and  mocked  my  helplessness.  If  my 
life  had  depended  on  him,  I  should  have  disap- 
peared utterly  in  that  horrible  place.  It  was  only 
the  sudden  appearance  —  almost  miraculous,  as  it 
seemed  to  me  then,  when  I  had  given  up  all  hope 
—  of  one  whose  good  and  kindly  nature  I  have 
had  no  reason  —  no  reason  —  "  I  repeated,  with  a 
profound  obeisance  to  My  Lady,  "to  doubt,  that 
I  escaped." 

My  Lady  blushed  a  deep  crimson  and  hung 
her  head.  She  knew  perfectly  well  that  I  alluded 
to  that  memorable  day  when  the  edge  of  the  dune 
had  crumbled  beneath  us ;  and  the  thought  of  the 


RJiadamanthus  1 59 

blow  given  that  day  humbled  her  now  as  it  did 
then. 

The  Master  turned  to  her  proudly. 

"  It  was  what  I  should  have  expected  from  you." 
He  spoke  with  great  pride  and  tenderness.  She 
shook  her  head,  but  did  not  speak. 

"  You  say  that  Burton  was  there,  and  refused  to 
help  you  ?  "  asked  the  Master,  after  taking  thought. 

"  I  do  say  so,  and  more  than  that !  He  sat  on 
the  slope  of  the  dune  and  mocked  my  plight.  He 
said  he  had  not  expected  to  get  rid  of  me  so  soon, 
but  that  if  I  had  not  done  for  myself  effectually, 
he  would  have  put  me  out  of  the  way  before  many 
days." 

He  looked  intently  at  Burton.  "What  have  you 
to  say  to  this  ?  " 

"  I  know  nothing  about  this,"  he  replied  sullenly. 
"  The  man  must  have  been  mad  with  terror,  and 
imagined  all  sorts  of  things.  He  hates  me,  you 
know.  See  how  many  other  imaginary  grievances 
he  has  just  recounted  !  I  was  not  there.  I  did 
not  even  know  of  his  danger  or  his  escape  until 
afterward." 

"  Did  you  see  Burton  there  ?  "  questioned  the 
Master  of  My  Lady. 

"  No.  After  I  had  caught  sight  of  a  man  in 
the  quicksand,  I  had  no  eyes  for  anything  else. 


160  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

The  whole  plantation  might  have  been  close  by 
without  my  knowing  it."  She  looked  at  him  as 
she  spoke,  and  then,  for  the  first  time,  addressed 
me  directly. 

"  If  you  knew  Burton  was  there,  why  did  you 
not  mention  it  to  me?" 

"  Because  I  knew  that  he  was  not  likely  to  stay 
close  by,"  I  answered.  "  He  fled  when  he  saw 
your  canoe  coming  round  the  point.  If  he  had 
appeared,  he  would  have  had  some  very  awkward 
questions  to  answer  to  you  ;  and  when  he  did  not 
respond  to  your  first  whistle,  I  knew  he  intended 
to  keep  himself  out  of  sight.  Besides,  if  I  had 
spoken  of  it,  you  would  not  have  believed  my 
story." 

The  Master  shook  his  head  doubtfully. 

"  It  is  strange,"  he  mused.  "  Are  you  positive 
that  you  could  not  be  mistaken  in  this  matter  ? 
Might  you  not  have  taken  some  tuft  of  grass  or 
seaweed,  or  perhaps  a  piece  of  driftwood,  for  a 
man's  head?  Such  mistakes  have  been  known." 

"  Do  grass  and  seaweed  and  driftwood  have 
tongues  ? "  I  rejoined.  "  I  tell  you  I  heard  the 
man,  as  well  as  saw  him.  Of  course  I  do  not  ex- 
pect you  to  believe  me,  when  he  denies  it ;  it  is 
many  weeks  since  I  ceased  to  hope  for  justice 
or  humanity  in  this  place."  I  spoke  bitterly,  for 


Rhadamanthus  161 

I  felt  bitterly.  "  Why  did  you  tell  me  that  my 
complaints  would  be  heard,  if  you  had  no  inten- 
tion of  doing  justice  after  they  were  made  ?  Why 
did  you  give  orders  for  my  safety,  and  then  allow 
this  man  to  waylay  me  ?  If  you  intend  to  assassi- 
nate me,  it  is  easy  to  do  it,  without  all  this  hypo- 
critical pretence  of  carefulness." 

He  started,  and  bent  his  brows  sternly  on  me. 

"  Assassinate  ? "  he  queried,  with  great  dignity. 

"What  else  would  you  call  it,  if  any  one  of 
these  attempts  had  succeeded?" 

It  was  no  more  than  natural  that  he  should  be 
angry.  Yet  he  restrained  himself  admirably ;  how 
admirably  I  did  not  appreciate  until  afterward, 
when  I  learned  how  my  words  must  have  affected 
him. 

"  You  forget,  sir,"  he  said  quietly.  "  You  have 
no  witness  of  these  things  except  your  own  word. 
You  know  how  little  reason  I  have  to  rely  on  that, 
and  it  is  directly  contradicted  by  the  man  you  ac- 
cuse. Of  the  two,  I  should  naturally  trust  to  the 
man  who  has  served  me  faithfully  all  his  life,  rather 
than  to  one  whom  I  never  saw  until  a  few  months 
ago,  and  who  has  given  me  the  strongest  reason 
for  distrusting  him.  Indeed,  in  all  but  the  last 
case,  your  whole  theory  rests  merely  upon  suppo- 
sitions. I  acknowledge  that,  admitting  your  ac- 


1 62  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

count  to  be  perfectly  exact,  the  coincidences  are 
certainly  strange,  perhaps  suspicious  —  to  you ;  yet 
your  own  sense  of  justice  must  tell  you  that  I  can- 
not condemn  a  tried  and  faithful  servant  on  such 
vague  suspicions.  I  have  never  known  him  to  lie 
to  me,  and  have  the  very  best  of  reasons  for  be- 
lieving that  he  would  never  do  so ;  nor  to  disobey 
my  orders.  Could  I  begin  to  suspect  him  now,  on 
the  strength  of  the  wild  and  unsupported  accusa- 
tion of  a  stranger  and  an  enemy  ?  You  see  I  am 
willing  to  argue  the  case  with  you,  though  there 
is  no  necessity  for  so  doing.  I  have  not  refused 
to  hear  you;  indeed,  it  seems  to  me  that  I  have 
listened  to  your  statements  and  your  accusations 
with  more  patience  than  most  men  would  have 
done.  I  make  allowance  for  the  peculiar  position 
you  are  in,  as  well  as  for  your  original  beliefs  re- 
garding me.  They  are  wrong  ;  but,  knowing  what 
I  do,  I  can  hardly  blame  you  for  that.  In  your 
place,  I  should  doubtless  look  at  the  matter  in  the 
same  light.  However,  all  that  is  beside  the  issue. 
I  have  not  refused  to  hear  you ;  on  the  contrary, 
I  am  ready  to  listen  to  any  further  statements  you 
may  have  to  make ;  only,  I  pray  you  to  remember 
that,  in  laying  your  accusations  before  me,  you 
voluntarily  constitute  me  the  judge  of  their  suffi- 
ciency." 


Rhadamanthus  163 

It  was  galling.  I  had  a  good  case.  I  knew, 
absolutely,  that  Burton  was  guilty  on  every  occa- 
sion I  had  mentioned ;  and  it  had  seemed  to  me, 
before  I  began  to  state  my  case,  that  any  one  else 
must  see  it  as  I  did.  Yet  both  defendant  and 
judge  put  me  hopelessly  in  the  wrong  by  a  few 
words  ;  as  the  Master  had  said,  even  to  myself  I 
had  to  acknowledge  how  weak  my  theories  must 
seem.  But,  since  the  thing  was  begun,  I  resolved 
to  play  it  out ;  and  I  had  one  more  point  to  make. 

"  I  am  past  hoping  that  my  words  may  have 
any  effect,"  I  said.  "  Still,  there  is  one  other  '  co- 
incidence '  that  I  wish  to  bring  to  your  attention. 
To-day  I  stood  close  to  where  the  grain  wagons 
were  passing ;  several  negroes  stood  around  me. 
Just  as  a  heavily  loaded  wagon  passed,  Burton 
gave  the  fellow  who  stood  back  of  me  a  violent 
shove  ;  the  negro  fell  against  me,  and  flung  me 
between  the  wheels  of  the  moving  wagon.  Only 
unusual  quickness  and  a  violent  exercise  of 
strength  saved  me  from  being  crushed  beneath 
the  wheels.  I  do  not  expect  you  to  take  notice 
of  my  own  peril,  but  probably  you  do  not  care  to 
have  your  own  property  injured.  The  slave  who 
was  pushed  against  me  was  less  fortunate  than  I ; 
his  wrist  was  caught  beneath  the  wheel,  and  —  he 
lost  the  hand." 


164  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  Who  was  it  ? "  he  demanded,  quickly. 

"  The  slave  ?     Theodore." 

"  Theodore  ?  Oh,  that  is  terrible  !  Did  you 
know  of  this?"  turning  to  My  Lady. 

"  Yes ;  I  helped  dress  the  arm,"  she  answered, 
in  a  low  tone. 

"  Could  not  the  arm  be  saved  ? "  asked  the  Mas- 
ter, eagerly.  "  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  of  the 
accident  immediately  ? " 

My  Lady  hesitated  a  moment. 

"  The  hand  was  almost  completely  cut  off,"  she 
replied,  without  looking  up.  "  And  as  this  —  gen- 
tleman —  kindly  attended  to  it  as  well  as  you  could 
have  done,  I  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  trouble 
you.  Theodore  has  had  all  the  attention  and  care 
that  is  possible.  You  are  not  strong  enough  to 
risk  any  unnecessary  shocks." 

The  Master  looked  from  her  to  me,  and  back 
again;  several  times. 

"  I  thank  Mr.  Darke  for  his  kindness  to  one  of 
my  people ;  more  especially  since  I  know  he  has 
small  reason  for  good  feeling  toward  any  one  of 
us.  I  wish,"  he  said  wistfully,  "  I  wish  it  might 
be  possible  for  us  to  be  friends."  It  was  the  same 
wish  that  My  Lady  had  made  weeks  before,  and 
in  the  same  words. 

"  It  is  through  no  fault  of  mine  that  we  are  not." 


Rhadamanthus  165 

I  spoke  warmly,  with  a  rising  hope  that  at  last  the 
misunderstanding  might  be  cleared  up.  His  man- 
ner had  softened  me,  so  that  for  the  moment  I  for- 
got my  anger  at  his  callousness  in  regard  to  the 
charges  I  had  made  against  Burton.  I  saw  My 
Lady  raise  her  head,  and  her  eyes  shone  brightly, 
hopefully,  I  thought.  But  I  was  to  be  disap- 
pointed again. 

"  I  wish  we  might  have  been  friendly,  I  say. 
But  I  know  that  until  the  whole  truth  is  known 
there  can  be  no  friendship  between  me  and  your 
father's  son." 

Had  I  at  last  come  upon  a  clew  ?     It  seemed  so. 

"  My  father ! "  I  cried  eagerly.  "  Did  you  know 
my  father?" 

The  Master  frowned,  and  seemed  disturbed. 

"  I  have  said  more  than  enough,  and  much  more 
than  I  intended  to,"  he  said  coldly,  and  with  a 
certain  air  of  contempt.  "  For  a  moment  I  was 
almost  tempted  to  believe  that  you—  Well,  it 
shall  not  happen  again,  I  assure  you."  I  saw 
My  Lady's  head  droop  again.  Why  could  I  not 
put  her  out  of  my  mind  ?  I  seemed  compelled  to 
watch  her,  and  to  gauge  everything  by  what  I 
could  read  from  her  face.  "  You  have  my  thanks 
for  your  kindness  to  Theodore ;  I  shall  not  forget 
it.  There  remains  the  matter  that  led  you  to  seek 


1 66  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

me  to-night.  I  must  acknowledge  that  there  have 
been  a  series  of  curious  coincidences  in  regard  to 
it,  but  I  cannot  bring  myself  to  believe  that  they 
are  anything  more  than  coincidences.  I  am  com- 
pelled to  think  that  the  prejudice  you  brought 
with  you  has  blinded  you,  or  perverted  your  views 
of  things.  At  the  same  time  —  " 

"Good  God,  sir,"  I  broke  out,  "did  I  not  tell 
you  that  on  one  occasion  the  man  openly  pro- 
claimed his  enmity  and  his  intentions  ? " 

"  I  do  not  credit  the  statement,  sir,"  he  returned, 
with  dignity.  "  I  am  more  inclined  to  believe  that 
for  reasons  of  your  own  (which  I  can  easily  sur- 
mise), you  wish  to  turn  my  mind  against  a  servant 
who  has  been  more  faithful  and  more  obedient 
than  you  could  ever  have  dreamed.  I  know  him  ; 
I  have  known  him  well  for  more  than  thirty  years ; 
and  in  all  that  time  he  has  never  caused  me  a 
single  anxiety,  though  he  has  saved  me  many, 
never  given  me  a  single  reason  for  distrusting  his 
perfect  truth.  Therefore  it  is  only  to  be  expected 
that  I  shall  not  believe  him  a  villain  on  the  mere 
unsupported  statement  of  one  whom  I  well  know 
to  be  an  enemy  of  myself  —  and  therefore  of  every 
one  connected  with  me." 

I  caught  a  swift  glance  of  My  Lady's  eye. 
Did  she,  too,  think  that  ?  I  could  not  believe  it. 


Rhadamanthus  167 

"  It  is  not  so,  sir,"  I  answered  sadly.  "  I  have 
told  you  before  this  that  I  am  no  enemy  of  yours. 
How  should  I  hate  a  man  whom  I  never  saw  be- 
fore —  of  whom  I  never  even  heard  ?  "  He  made 
a  gesture  of  impatience,  but  I  went  on.  "You 
do  not  believe  my  assertion,  and  until  you  tell  me 
upon  what  ground  your  conviction  of  my  enmity 
rests,  I  am  powerless  to  right  myself.  I  have  told 
you  frankly  who  and  what  I  am ;  if  you  would 
only  speak  as  plainly,  this  thing  could  be  made 
right  at  once." 

I  paused  for  him  to  speak.  I  saw  My  Lady 
lay  her  hand  softly  on  his  arm,  as  though  in  ap- 
peal, and  my  heart  went  out  to  her  for  the  act. 
He  threw  it  off  with  an  angry  gesture,  the  only 
one  I  ever  saw  him  make  toward  her ;  and  from 
the  astonishment  and  pain  depicted  on  My  Lady's 
face,  I  felt  sure  it  was  the  only  one  she  had  ever 
known.  I  felt  for  her,  and  hastened  to  put  an 
end  to  the  awkward  situation. 

"  In  any  case,  sir,"  I  went  on  hurriedly,  "  what- 
ever may  be  the  supposed  cause  of  my  enmity 
toward  you,  there  is  no  reason  why  it  should 
include  the  members  of  your  family,  much  less 
the  rest  of  your  household.  There  is  but  one 
person  on  this  island  toward  whom  I  have  un- 
friendly feelings  ;  and  it  is  due,  in  his  case,  en- 


1 68  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

tirely  to  his  uncalled-for  and  unprovoked  attempts 
on  my  life.  I  see  that  your  prejudices  in  his  favor 
and  against  me  are  too  deeply  rooted  to  be  moved, 
so  I  will  take  my  leave  of  you,  with  apologies  for 
the  intrusion.  After  all,  it  is  only  the  matter  of 
a  man's  life,  and  apparently  that  is  a  very  trifling 
matter  in  your  estimation."  The  Master  started 
violently,  and  his  eyes  blazed  fiercely,  but  I  went 
on  undaunted.  "Whatever  may  occur,  I  shall 
not  trouble  you  again.  But  I  believe  you  have  a 
conscience,  and  for  its  welfare  I  tell  you  this : 
when  my  life  shall  have  been  taken  in  some  secret 
and  underhand  way,  the  crime  will  be  on  your 
head  quite  as  much  as  on  that  of  the  actual  as- 
sassin. I  only  hope  that  you  may  discover  the 
truth  before  any  other  man  —  or  woman  —  shall 
suffer  for  the  error." 

I  bowed,  and  was  turning  away,  when  the  Mas- 
ter stopped  me. 

"  Wait,  sir ;  this  matter  is  not  yet  settled.  No 
other  man  has  ever  accused  me  to  my  face  of  being 
unjust,  nor  shall  you,  with  any  good  cause.  While 
I  do  not  believe  in  the  truth  of  your  accusations, 
I  wish  to  convince  you  that  I  am  not  careless  of 
your  safety,  though  a  cruel  fate  compels  me  to 
deprive  you  of  your  liberty  for  a  short  time. 
Burton !  " 


Rhadamanthus  169 

The  man  had  been  standing  a  little  behind  me 
during  the  late  dispute,  and  I  could  fancy  the 
grin  of  triumph  that  would  have  spread  over  his 
face  if  he  had  been  as  other  men.  Now  he  stepped 
forward,  and  touched  his  cap,  without  speaking. 

"  You  have  heard  Mr.  Darke's  accusations  and 
my  answer  to  them.  I  repeat  my  order  that  no 
harm  is  to  come  to  him  that  can  possibly  be  pre- 
vented. I  make  you  responsible  for  his  safety, 
and  if  anything  should  happen  to  him  that  cannot 
be  attributed  to  perfectly  natural  and  inevitable 
causes,  I  shall  hold  you  to  account.  If  the  act 
itself  is  not  chargeable  directly  to  you,  I  shall  hold 
you  indirectly  guilty  for  not  preventing  the  occur- 
rence. If  necessary,  you  will  devote  your  whole 
time  and  attention  to  this,  and  use  the  services  of 
as  many  of  the  slaves  as  you  may  consider  neces- 
sary to  make  it  absolutely  sure.  Do  you  under- 
stand ? " 

"Yes,  sir;  I  understand  perfectly,"  said  the 
man,  as  he  stepped  back. 

"  Are  you  satisfied,  sir  ? "  demanded  the  Mas- 
ter, turning  to  me. 

"  Perfectly  satisfied  as  to  your  intentions,"  I 
replied.  "  As  I  told  you  before,  I  had  no  doubt 
of  them  from  the  first  moment  of  this  interview. 
Not  so  as  to  his,  however." 


I/O 

"  But  have  you  no  further  suggestion  to  make?  " 
rejoined  the  Master,  with  a  gesture  of  weariness. 
"  I  am  more  than  willing  to  do  anything  in  my 
power  to  disabuse  your  mind  of  this  apprehen- 
sion." 

"None  whatever,"  I  answered.  "There  is  only 
one  solution  of  the  difficulty,  and  that  lies  in  the 
death  of  either  him  or  me.  You  can  guess  which 
is  most  likely  to  happen  ;  I  am  entirely  unarmed, 
as  you  know  well.  I  thank  you  for  the  patience 
and  courtesy  with  which  you  have  heard  me  —  I 
know  that  I  have  tried  them  sorely  —  and  for  the 
good  intentions  you  express." 

I  bowed  low  to  both  of  them  again,  and 
walked  away.  Before  I  had  taken  twenty  steps, 
some  feeling  got  the  better  of  me,  and  I  turned 
and  glanced  in  their  direction.  I  seemed  to  see 
only  the  woman,  upon  whom  my  mind  dwelt  so 
constantly,  and  if  there  was  not  a  look  of  sym- 
pathy for  me  on  her  face,  my  reading  was  greatly 
at  fault.  Yet  I  knew  that  her  love  and  trust  were 
given  absolutely  to  the  Master.  However  much 
sympathy  she  might  feel  for  my  hard  case,  she 
would  never  demur  to  the  correctness  or  justice  of 
his  measures. 

I  had  said  to  the  Master  that  I  knew  no  cause 
for  enmity  between  him  and  me.  I  was  wrong ; 


Rhadamanthus  171 

for  in  keeping  her  mind  and  mine  apart,  he  was 
the  worst  enemy  I  could  have,  not  even  excepting 
Burton.  Unceasing  vigilance  might  serve  to  pro- 
tect me  from  the  latter,  for  he  sought  only  to  take 
my  life.  Not  so  with  the  Master,  for  he  was  (how- 
ever unwittingly)  destroying  my  peace  of  mind, 
and  against  his  influence  with  My  Lady  I  had  no 
defence. 


OUT  OF  SORROW  COMETH  JOY 

I  WAS  roused  from  sleep  by  a  heavy  hand  that 
shook  me  roughly  by  the  shoulder.  A  bright 
glare  dazzled  my  eyes  for  one  moment ;  the  next, 
I  had  shaken  off  the  hand  that  held  me  and  sprung 
to  my  feet,  prepared  to  resist  to  the  uttermost,  for 
I  recognized  Burton  standing  beside  me,  holding 
the  torch.  I  looked  about  the  room  to  see  the 
number  of  my  assailants,  and  at  my  evident  alarm 
Burton's  face  almost  showed  an  expression  of 
amusement  as  he  said  grimly,  — 

"  You  need  not  fear  —  this  time  !  " 

"What  do  you  want ? "  I  demanded. 

"The  Master  wishes  to  see  you,  and  quickly." 

"  The  Master  —  at  this  time  of  the  night  ?  What 
for?" 

"  What  is  that  to  you  ?  I  say  he  wants  you ; 
who  are  you,  to  question  his  will  ? " 

"  I  do  not  believe  you,"  I  said  stubbornly.  "This 
is  only  another  of  your  cowardly  attempts  on  my 
life.  I  will  not  go  !  " 

172 


Out  of  Sorroiu  cometh  Joy  173 

"  Fool !  "  he  exclaimed  impatiently.  "  If  I  had 
intended  harm,  I  could  have  killed  you  easily 
enough  while  you  slept.  Am  /  likely  to  give  you 
any  chances  when  your  time  comes  ? " 

That  was  true  enough ;  and  I  was  forced  to 
believe  him. 

"  What  does  he  want  ? " 

"  How  do  I  know  ?  He  will  tell  you  what  he 
pleases.  Hurry ;  there  is  no  time  to  lose  !  " 

His  manner  impressed  me  strangely,  in  spite  of 
my  previous  knowledge  of  him  and  his  devious 
ways.  I  dressed  myself  hurriedly,  and  followed 
him  to  the  house,  wondering  not  a  little  about  the 
meaning  of  this  hasty  summons.  It  could  hardly 
be  that  the  Master  was  going  to  give  me  my  free- 
dom at  this  time  of  the  day  —  or  rather,  of  the 
night ;  he  would  not  have  had  me  called  until  the 
morning,  in  that  case.  Burton  strode  along  quickly, 
not  vouchsafing  me  a  word,  and  I  kept  by  his 
side. 

As  we  entered  the  inclosure  that  surrounded  the 
mansion,  I  noticed  that  several  of  the  upper  win- 
dows were  brightly  illuminated ;  a  sure  evidence 
of  some  occurrence  of  importance,  for  every  one 
on  the  island  —  except  possibly  myself,  who  had 
many  things  to  keep  me  awake  —  was  wont  to  be 
asleep  soon  after  dark.  My  heart  began  to  beat 


Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

quickly,  with  a  vague  expectation  of  some  event 
that  should  work  a  change  in  my  circumstances. 

Burton  led  me  into  the  hall,  which  I  had  entered 
only  once  before,  though  I  had  seen  every  minut- 
est portion  of  it  during  the  long  evenings  when  I 
kept  my  solitary  vigil  in  the  park.  But  this  time 
he  did  not  stop  there.  Grasping  a  candle  that 
stood  ready,  he  led  the  way  toward  the  stairs. 
Naturally,  I  had  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  hall ; 
and  he,  seeing  that  I  did  not  follow  him,  waved 
his  candle  impatiently  toward  the  stairs,  and  said, 
"Come!" 

I  followed  to  the  upper  floor.  Burton  tapped 
gently  at  a  partly  closed  door,  through  which  the 
light  gleamed  brightly,  and  a  voice  that  I  knew 
well  called  to  us  to  enter. 

I  had  watched  the  Master  growing  weaker  day 
by  day,  yet  it  gave  me  a  shock  to  see  him  propped 
up  in  bed,  with  a  look  on  his  face  that  enlightened 
me  as  to  the  cause  of  my  being  roused  at  such  an 
hour.  He  was  a  dying  man,  and  he  knew  it  well. 
And  My  Lady,  who  sat  beside  the  bed,  holding  his 
hand,  knew  it  also ;  and  Burton,  who  turned  his 
face  away  quickly,  knew  it ;  and  the  negro  house- 
servants,  several  of  whom  stood  at  the  farther  end 
of  the  room,  knew  it  too.  And,  in  spite  of  the 
treatment  I  had  undergone,  I  believe  there  was 


Out  of  Sorrow  cometh  Joy  175 

not  one  of  them  —  except,  of  course,  My  Lady  — 
who  was  more  heartily  grieved  than  I  was  that  it 
should  be  so. 

I  felt  —  I  had  recognized  all  along  —  that  their 
treatment  of  me  arose  from  some  great  mistake, 
and  I  believed  that  they  felt  themselves  fully 
justified  in  the  course  they  had  pursued.  Perhaps 
I  should  have  taken  the  same  measures  under  sim- 
ilar circumstances  ;  I  do  not  know.  Certainly  my 
whole  feeling  of  resentment  arose  from  the  fact 
that  they  assumed  they  knew  all  about  me  (which 
claim  I  knew  to  be  founded  on  a  monstrous  blun- 
der), and  that,  in  consequence  of  it,  they  refused 
even  to  listen  to  my  story,  and  deprived  me  of  the 
chance  to  clear  myself  of  the  unknown  charges. 

I  had  but  a  moment  in  which  to  note  the  scene 
so  suddenly  offered  to  my  sight,  and  then  My 
Lady  turned  her  head  and  spoke  to  me. 

"  Sir,  we  owe  you  an  apology  for  disturbing  you 
at  this  hour ;  but  my  father  would  have  speech 
with  you,  and  the  time  — "  her  voice  trembled, 
and  she  pressed  his  hand  closer  — "  the  time  is 
short."  She  dropped  her  head  for  a  moment  upon 
the  hand  she  held,  and  clung  to  it  despairingly. 

I  bowed  to  both  of  them,  but  I  looked  at  My 
Lady  only.  My  heart  shone  through  my  eyes, 
though  she  could  not  see  it,  for  she  did  not  look 


176  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

up.     If  she  had  —      But  one  other  saw  it,  and  he 
made  no  sign  at  that  time. 

"  I  am  at  his  service  and  at  yours,  both  now  and 
hereafter,"  I  said. 

She  turned  red  and  then  pale,  but  said  never  a 
word.  She  did  not  even  turn  her  head,  but  left 
the  Master  to  speak. 

"  It  is  hard  to  believe  that  you  can  have  any 
feeling  but  that  of  enmity  toward  us,  sir,  yet  I  am 
compelled  to  ask  a  favor  of  you,  and  would  speak 
with  you  alone  before  —  He  glanced  at  My 
Lady's  bowed  head,  and  failed  to  finish  his  sen- 
tence. There  was  no  need,  however,  to  complete 
it.  There  was  only  one  more  event  before  him, 
and  we  all  knew  what  it  was. 

"Leave  us  alone,  dear,"  he  said  to  My  Lady; 
and  she  rose  obediently,  though  with  evident  re- 
luctance, and  moved  toward  the  door.  The  others 
followed,  except  Burton,  who  remained  standing 
with  his  back  to  us,  near  one  of  the  windows,  ap- 
parently absorbed  in  staring  out  into  the  blackness 
of  the  night. 

"  Burton  !  "  He  turned  quickly.  The  Master 
motioned  toward  the  door,  but  he  made  no  offer 
to  move. 

"  Leave  us  alone !  " 

He  took  a  step  toward  the  bed.  "  Alone  with 
kirnf" 


Out  of  Sorrow  comet h  Joy  177 

"  Certainly." 

"  I  am  afraid ;  he  may  do  you  harm,"  he  mut- 
tered. 

"  Harm  a  dying  man  ?  He  could  not  if  he 
would.  Go,  I  say  !  " 

Slowly  and  sullenly  the  man  moved,  casting  a 
glance  of  inextinguishable  hatred  at  me  as  he 
passed. 

"  Close  the  door  after  you,"  commanded  the 
Master ;  and  we  were  alone  together.  Since  I 
had  first  spoken,  I  had  not  moved  from  where 
I  stood ;  but  now  he  beckoned  me  to  him,  and  I 
took  my  station  beside  the  bed.  For  a  few  mo- 
ments he  hesitated,  not  knowing  how  to  introduce 
his  subject. 

"  Mr.  Darke,"  he  began  finally,  "  you  see  my 
condition.  In  a  few  hours  at  the  most  I  shall  be 
out  of  reach  of  your  enmity.  You  see  that  I  can 
have  no  object  in  speaking  falsely,  and  for  my 
daughter's  sake  I  wish  to  make  a  statement,  on 
the  oath  of  a  dying  man,  that  I  could  never  prove 
legally.  By  that  oath,  I  swear  that  you  were  mis- 
taken when  you  pursued  me  here.  I  swear  that 
I  was  innocent,  though  my  flight  justified  the  be- 
lief in  my  guilt.  But  I  was  taken  by  surprise, 
and  had  no  time  to  reflect  on  the  consequences 
of  what  I  did  ;  I  fled  by  instinct.  When  I  came 


178  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

to  my  senses,  it  was  too  late  ;  the  whole  country 
was  aroused,  and  searching  for  me,  and  in  the 
state  of  public  opinion  at  that  time,  I  knew  that 
I  should  receive  scant  justice  —  slight  belief  in 
my  improbable  story.  I  do  not  know  the  guilty 
man ;  but  I  do  know  that  it  was  not  I.  For  the 
sake  of  my  child  I  ask  you  to  believe  this.  Even 
if  you  still  disbelieve,  spare  her !  She,  at  least, 
has  never  harmed  a  living  soul.  Let  my  death, 
after  all  these  years  of  exile,  serve  to  expiate  the 
crime  that  I  never  committed,  but  do  not  visit  it 
on  her  innocent  head.  She  knows  not  the  name 
I  bore  at  that  time ;  let  her  live  in  ignorance  of 
the  disgrace  that  blackened  it ;  let  her  believe  her 
father  a  persecuted  man,  not  a  guilty  one !  " 

I  would  not  have  believed  that  a  man's  counte- 
nance and  voice  could  express  such  pitiful  beseech- 
ing. He  was  in  deadly  earnest ;  his  whole  soul 
was  moved  by  the  one  idea  of  convincing  me,  that 
My  Lady  might  be  spared  all  knowledge  of  the 
thing  he  spoke  of.  And  I  could  not  hazard  even 
a  guess  as  to  his  meaning,  except  that  it  concerned 
some  crime  done  in  long-forgotten  years. 

I  took  time  to  think,  though  his  appealing  eyes 
disturbed  my  reflections,  and  then  spoke  deliber- 
ately, striving  to  impress  him  in  my  turn  with  the 
truth  of  my  words. 


Out  of  Sorroiv  cometh  Joy  179 

"  Sir,  when  your  servants  first  brought  me  be- 
fore you,  I  told  you  that  I  came  here  through  mis- 
chance, and  knew  absolutely  nothing  as  to  where 
I  was,  or  who  you  were.  Now,  speaking  as  to  a 
dying  man,  whom  I  could  have  no  object  in  deceiv- 
ing, I  repeat  the  assertion  ;  I  was  not  seeking  you 
or  any  one.  To  this  very  moment  I  do  not  know 
where  I  am ;  to  this  very  moment  I  do  not  know 
even  your  name  or  your  daughter's.  I  have  never 
heard  of  you,  save  as  '  the  Master  '  of  an  unknown 
island  where  I  have  been  detained  through  misap- 
prehension on  your  part.  If  you  were  ever  ac- 
cused of  a  crime,  I  know  nothing  of  it ;  nor,  since 
I  have  known  you,  would  I  have  believed  the  ac- 
cusation, had  I  heard  it.  I  am  not  pleased  with 
my  inhospitable  treatment  here,  and  the  attempts 
your  servant  has  made  upon  my  life ;  but  other- 
wise I  have  no  cause  of  enmity  toward  you,  and 
would  gladly  have  been  your  friend  months  ago, 
if  you  would  have  let  me.  And,  even  before  you 
ask  it,  I  will  give  you  one  other  assurance ;  if  I 
am  permitted,  I  will  guard  your  daughter  with  my 
life  from  all  sorrow  or  trouble  that  I  can  ward  off. 
Apart  from  your  wish,  I  would  rejoice  to  do  this, 
from  the  affection  I  have  felt  for  her  this  long 
time." 

As    I  spoke,   I   saw  doubt  and  incredulity  ex- 


180  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

pressed  on  his  face  changing  to  wonder,  and  then 
to  belief  —  a  belief  that  he  hardly  dared  to  en- 
tertain. 

"  You  are  Allan  Darke,  of  Chilton  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Son  of  Allan  Darke  of  the  same  place  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  And  you  were  not  in  search  of  me  ?  " 

"  As  I  told  you,  I  was  on  my  way  to  Virginia 
in  haste,  and  was  in  search  of  no  one." 

He  suddenly  sat  up,  and  grasped  my  wrist  with 
more  strength  than  I  would  have  believed  he 
could  possess. 

"  Swear  it  !  "  he  cried.  "  You  could  not  so  de- 
ceive a  dying  man.  Swear  that  that  is  the  whole 
truth  !  " 

"  I  swear  it,"  I  said  solemnly. 

"  Thank  God  !  "  he  cried,  joyfully,  falling  back 
on  the  pillows  in  exhaustion.  "  Call  them  in  — 


I  seized  the  bell-rope,  and  tugged  it  sharply, 
at  the  same  time  calling  aloud.  They  rushed  in, 
My  Lady  first  ;  she  sank  on  her  knees,  white  and 
breathless,  beside  him,  crying  out  to  know  what 
was  the  matter.  Close  after  her  came  Burton, 
ever  ready  to  believe  the  worst,  and,  seizing  me, 
he  attempted  to  drag  me  away  from  the  Master, 


Out  of  Sorrow  cometh  Joy  \  8 1 

who  still  retained  his  grasp  on  my  wrist.  The 
old  man  felt  the  pull,  and  opened  his  eyes ;  in  a 
moment  his  old  spirit  flared  up. 

"  Hands  off !  "  he  cried.  Burton  sprang  back, 
abjectly  obedient  to  the  last. 

The  Master  looked  at  My  Lady,  and  took  her 
hand  in  his. 

"  It  was  all  a  mistake,  dearest,"  he  said  faintly. 
"  He  is  no  enemy,  after  all.  You  were  wiser 
than  I.  Make  amends;  pay  my  debt  to  him." 
And  then,  to  me,  "  I  am  sorry.  .  .  .  Burton 
will  explain.  ..."  He  put  My  Lady's  hand 
in  mine,  and  a  great  wave  of  delight  swept  over 
me  as  I  touched  it  for  the  first  time  with  her 
consent.  There  was  no  answering  pressure  when 
I  grasped  it;  it  lay  in  mine  passively,  not  quite 
by  her  own  volition,  but  at  least  not  unwillingly. 
Curious  thrills  of  emotion  shook  me  from  head 
to  foot.  "  You  will  be  good  to  Marjorie  .  .  . 
you  will  take  care  of  her." 

Marjorie !  It  was  thus  I  learned  My  Lady's 
name. 

Her  hand  lay  passively  in  mine,  and  I  bent 
and  kissed  it.  "  All  my  life,  if  she  will  let  me," 
I  said  reverently. 

She  may  have  heard  my  words,  but  she  gave 
no  sign. 


1 82  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

He  gave  me  one  glance  of  gratitude,  almost 
of  affection,  and  turned  his  face  to  her,  so  that 
his  last  glance  might  be  on  her  and  for  her ; 
and  so,  without  further  sign  or  struggle,  he  fell 
asleep. 


XI 

A    DREAM 

FOR  many  minutes  not  one  of  us  made  a  sound 
or  a  motion.  My  Lady  knelt  by  the  bed,  with 
one  hand  clasped  in  mine,  and  the  other  in  the 
Master's,  as  though  turned  to  stone ;  and  I  dared 
not  move,  for  I  feared  to  provoke  some  wild  out- 
break on  her  part,  that  might  do  her  harm.  I 
think  she  had  forgotten  who  I  was,  but  I  believe 
the  mere  fact  of  a  living  hand  helped  her,  through 
the  strength  of  sympathy,  and  the  knowledge 
that  there  was  one  close  by  who  felt  for  her,  and 
on  whom  she  could  depend. 

At  last  the  painful  tension  was  broken  by  one 
of  the  negro  women,  her  own  maid,  who  stepped 
forward  and  gently  tried  to  raise  her.  In  this 
I  assisted,  and  we  led  My  Lady  from  the  room. 
At  another  door,  nearer  the  head  of  the  stairs, 
the  maid  stopped,  and  looked  at  me  significantly, 
and  I  knew  this  must  be  My  Lady's  own  room. 
Before  releasing  her  hand,  which  I  had  held 
ever  since  the  Master  had  put  it  in  mine, 

183 


184  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

I  raised  the  hand  and  kissed  it  with  great  re- 
spect and  affection.  She  looked  at  me  dully,  as 
though  wondering  how  I  came  there ;  but  the 
familiar  look  of  doubt  and  distrust  was  gone 
—  forever,  I  hoped  —  and  I  even  found  that 
her  fingers  showed  a  disposition  to  retain  their 
clasp.  She  and  Claudia  stepped  within,  and 
the  door  closed. 

Just  at  the  instant  I  was  at  a  loss  to  know 
what  should  be  my  next  move.  The  Master's 
last  words  proved  that  I  was  no  longer  to  be 
regarded  as  a  prisoner  or  an  enemy,  at  least  not 
after  I  could  have  a  full  explanation  with  the  mis- 
tress of  the  island  ;  but  how  or  when  this  could 
take  place  was  left  uncomfortably  vague.  Should 
I  attempt  to  stay  in  the  house,  on  the  chance  of 
being  of  some  use  to  My  Lady,  I  might  have 
trouble  with  the  servants,  who  did  not  know  of 
the  sudden  change  in  the  Master's  mind  regard- 
ing me.  If  I  returned  to  my  cabin,  I  voluntarily 
replaced  myself  in  the  position  of  a  prisoner. 

I  was  spared  the  necessity  of  deciding.  A 
touch  on  my  arm  made  me  turn  to  face  the  man 
who  had  brought  me  fresh  misfortune  every  time 
he  had  crossed  my  path.  And  though  his  face 
was  as  impassive  as  ever,  the  light  that  shone 
in  his  eyes  was  ominous  of  further  trouble. 


A  Dream  185 

Whatever  might  have  been  his  original  reason 
for  hating  me,  he  had  heard  the  Master's  words 
of  regret  for  what  was  past,  and  his  request 
that  I  should  "be  good  to  Marjorie."  He  must 
have  known  that  I  was  no  enemy ;  yet  he  seemed 
to  hate  me  more  than  ever. 

"  Go  back  to  your  hut,"  he  commanded  curtly, 
but  in  a  low  tone,  so  that  My  Lady  should  not 
hear. 

"  Why  ?  You  know  now  that  you  were  mis- 
taken about  me." 

"  He  may  have  been  mistaken  ;  I  was  not !  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  I  demanded,  still  in  a 
whisper. 

"  He  had  one  reason  for  fearing  you ;  I  had 
two !  " 

"  And  what  was  the  second  ? "  I  asked  with 
much  curiosity. 

He  seemed  to  think  he  had  said  too  much,  for 
he  hesitated. 

"  You  will  know  in  good  time,"  he  replied  finally. 
"  I  am  not  obliged  to  enlighten  you  until  I  choose." 

"So?"  I  asked  incredulously,  "and  will  My 
Lady's  commands  count  for  nothing  ?  " 

The  mention  of  her  made  his  wrath  blaze  up 
fiercely.  He  grasped  my  arm,  and  pushed  me 
toward  the  head  of  the  stairs. 


1 86  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  Do  not  dare  to  speak  of  her  !  "  he  exclaimed. 
"  Go  quickly,  before  I  do  you  harm !  " 

It  was  the  last  place  in  the  world  that  I  would 
have  chosen  for  an  altercation,  and  the  time  and 
circumstances  aggravated  the  unfitness  of  it.  He 
was  angry  enough  to  forget  these  things,  if  pro- 
voked but  a  little  more ;  and  I  went  unresistingly, 
though  every  muscle  of  my  body  seemed  over- 
strung, and  aching  for  a  struggle  with  him.  His 
manner  had  always  been  insolent  and  irritating  to 
the  last  degree,  and  had  rolled  up  a  mighty  list  of 
grievances  against  him  in  my  mind,  even  without 
his  cowardly  attempts  at  assassination.  Against 
the  strict  orders  of  the  Master  he  had  attempted 
my  life  again  and  again  in  ways  that  none  but  a 
perfectly  diabolical  imagination  could  have  con- 
ceived, and  that  left  no  trace  of  his  agency  —  not 
even  a  possibility  of  proving  such  a  charge,  though 
I  knew  perfectly  well,  and  he  knew  that  I  knew, 
the  truth  of  it. 

Therefore,  now  that  I  was  reinstated  in  the  good 
opinion  of  the  Master  who  lay  dead  within  a  few 
yards  of  us,  and  in  that  of  My  Lady,  who  would 
accept  unhesitatingly  any  dictum  that  came  from 
her  father ;  and  since  I  knew  just  as  positively 
that  Burton  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with  all 
the  facts  of  the  case  —  even  better  than  the  Mas- 


A  Dream  187 

ter,  if  the  statements  of  both  of  them  carried  any 
weight  —  my  rage  boiled  up  in  me  so  that  I  longed 
for  a  life-and-death  struggle  with  mine  adversary. 
I  thought  that  a  certain  fear  of  My  Lady's  opinion 
restrained  him  from  commencing  such  a  struggle 
himself,  though  I  was  sure  that  nothing  would 
have  pleased  him  better  than  to  provoke  me  to 
begin  it  —  thus  putting  me  in  the  wrong  and  en- 
abling him  to  claim  that  he  acted  only  in  self- 
defence.  So,  for  the  sake  of  My  Lady,  and  out 
of  respect  for  the  majesty  of  death,  I  curbed  my 
growing  irritation,  and  submitted  to  be  led  like  a 
cowed  prisoner  out  into  the  grounds  and  out  of 
hearing  of  the  house.  Once  there,  he  released  his 
hold. 

"  Go  to  your  kennel,  you  dog,  and  stay  there  !  " 
he  commanded,  as  though  I  had  been  one  of  the 
slaves  ;  and  as  obediently  as  a  slave  I  left  him, 
only  cursing  inwardly  the  necessity  that  con- 
strained me,  and  adding  one  more  to  the  black 
marks  that  I  had  scored  mentally  against  his 
account. 

For  three  days,  neither  sign  nor  sound  came  to 
me  from  the  house.  The  field  negroes  came  and 
went  as  usual,  though  the  great  bell  was  never 
rung ;  I  kept  myself  aloof  from  them,  and  asked 


1 88  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

no  questions.  Every  moment  I  expected  to  re- 
ceive a  summons  from  My  Lady  to  come  to  the 
house  and  receive  with  her  the  promised  explana- 
tion from  Burton.  I  knew  that  she  was  as  igno- 
rant of  the  true  facts  in  the  case  as  I  was  myself, 
and  it  never  occurred  to  me  that  she  might  inter- 
rogate him  without  sending  for  me  to  hear  the 
story.  I  believed  myself  practically  a  free  man ; 
I  knew  that  the  Master,  realizing  and  repenting 
his  mistake,  had  acknowledged  it,  and  commended 
My  Lady  to  my  care.  There  was  no  longer  any 
reason  why  My  Lady  should  hate  or  despise  me ; 
and  —  and  this  brightened  the  whole  horizon  as  I 
sat  in  front  of  my  poor  cabin  that  first  night  wait- 
ing for  the  dawn,  for  I  could  not  sleep  for  think- 
ing of  these  things  —  there  was  no  longer  any 
reason  why  we  should  not  meet  as  equals ;  there 
was  no  reason  —  and  here  my  heart  leaped  —  why 
I  should  not  woo  and  win  her,  despite  her  former 
prejudice  against  me.  So  far  as  I  knew  I  had  no 
rival ;  my  conduct  had  been  such  as  must  give  her 
a  good  opinion  of  me,  if  she  reviewed  it  calmly 
in  the  light  of  the  later  revelations.  And  now 
the  possibility  of  winning  her  first  came  actually 
within  reach ;  now  for  the  first  time  I  dared  to 
acknowledge  to  myself  that  I  loved  her.  And 
when  I  did  finally  own  the  fact  to  myself,  I  seemed 


A  Dream  189 

to  have  known  it  for  many  weeks.  With  some 
surprise  I  recognized  that  it  was  already  an  old 
story. 

For  three  days  I  waited  for  a  sign  from  her,  but 
no  sign  came.  It  was  no  time  to  intrude  upon  her 
grief  while  her  father  lay  unburied.  I  spent  most 
of  my  time  as  near  to  the  house  as  I  thought  it 
possible  without  seeming  to  thrust  myself  upon 
her  notice.  I  knew  where  the  Master  would  be 
laid,  in  a  pleasant  grove  a  few  hundred  yards  to 
the  right  of  the  great  house.  There  had  been  laid 
the  body  of  the  Master's  wife,  with  that  of  their 
son,  who  had  died  young.  To  that  grove  I  had 
often  seen  the  Master  take  his  way,  sometimes 
alone  and  sometimes  in  company  with  My  Lady. 
These  visits  usually  took  place  just  after  sunset ; 
and  thither,  just  after  sunset  of  the  third  day,  he 
made  his  last  and  final  journey. 

I  had  seen  the  grave  dug,  and  knew  when  the 
Master  was  to  be  buried.  I  waite'd  near  the  en- 
trance of  the  grove  until  the  coffin,  borne  by  six  of 
the  slaves  (for  Burton  and  I  were  now  the  only 
white  men  on  the  island),  had  passed,  and  then 
stepped  quietly  into  what  seemed  my  proper  place, 
just  behind  My  Lady,  who  walked  with  Burton.  If 
My  Lady  saw  me  she  made  no  sign. 

Burton  read  the  beautiful  service  for  the  "  Burial 


190  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

of  the  Dead,"  and  though  the  absence  of  expres- 
sion in  his  voice  detracted  somewhat  from  the 
great  solemnity  of  which  it  is  capable,  yet  I  am 
bound  to  say  that  he  did  it  as  well  and  as  rever- 
ently as  though  he  had  been  a  regularly  ordained 
minister.  His  voice  was  oppressively  monotonous, 
yet  at  times  it  faltered,  as  if  to  prove  that  the  man 
had  affections,  and  that  they  were  deeply  stirred, 
although  nature  had  denied  him  the  ability  to 
evince  them  as  other  men  did.  It  was  natural 
enough  that  he  should  be  moved,  for  he  was 
parting  with  a  good  friend  and  a  good  master,  to 
whom  he  was  blindly  devoted ;  and  he  had  other 
affections,  too,  as  I  was  to  learn  in  due  course. 

When  the  last  words  were  said,  we  stood  in 
silence  for  some  minutes,  each  with  his  own 
thoughts  of  the  Master,  until  My  Lady  moved 
and  turned.  I  stepped  aside  ;  the  servants  opened 
their  ranks  to  let  her  pass,  and  she  took  several 
steps  away  from  the  grave.  I  fully  intended  to 
do  nothing  to  attract  her  attention  to  me  in  any 
way  ;  but  when  I  saw  her  stop  and  sway  as  though 
she  were  going  to  fall,  I  sprang  forward  instinc- 
tively to  catch  her  if  she  should  faint.  I  was 
quick,  for  love  made  me  so ;  but  hate,  for  this 
time  at  least,  was  quicker.  Before  I  could  reach 
My  Lady  I  was  seized  from  behind  and  thrown 


A  Dream  191 

aside  with  great  violence,  so  that  I  brought  up 
against  a  tree  with  a  shock  that  left  me  breath- 
less, while  my  head  rang  with  the  force  of  the 
concussion. 

It  dazed  me  for  a  moment ;  but,  when  I  realized 
what  had  happened,  and  looked  up,  I  saw  Burton 
standing  between  me  and  My  Lady,  with  his  fists 
clinched  as  though  he  would  attack  me  again, 
and  his  eyes,  the  sole  features  of  his  countenance 
that  could  demonstrate  his  feelings,  glaring  defi- 
ance and  hatred.  Nay,  more  ;  they  expressed  the 
desire  to  murder,  if  ever  eyes  spoke. 

The  force  of  my  blow  against  the  tree  had  taken 
all  the  strength  out  of  me.  I  was  helpless  as  a 
child,  and  if  Burton  had  attacked  me  further,  I 
should  have  been  powerless  to  resist.  He  seemed 
to  have  forgotten  the  place  and  the  sacred  service 
in  which  he  had  just  taken  part;  he  had  become 
a  hungry  panther  whose  prey  lies  within  his 
grasp.  If  he  had  forgotten  even  My  Lady's 
presence,  so  also  he  had  forgotten  his  pretended 
indifference  to  me,  in  his  overwhelming  passionate 
desire  to  kill ;  and  he  let  the  full  force  of  his  in- 
tense hatred  be  seen  by  all,  though  to  My  Lady 
it  appeared  but  a  sudden  access  of  fury.  She 
could  not  guess  how  long  he  had  been  nursing  it 
in  secret. 


192  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

The  occurrence  had  one  good  effect,  for  the 
excitement  it  caused  her  made  My  Lady  forget 
her  grief  for  the  moment,  and  there  was  no  fur- 
ther sign  of  weakness  on  her  part.  She  straight- 
ened herself,  and  grasped  Burton  by  the  arm.  I 
knew  she  was  no  weakling,  but  I  should  never 
have  looked  at  this  time  for  the  strength  with 
which  she  forced  him  to  face  her.  He  was  an 
unusually  powerful  man,  too,  as  I  had  the  best 
of  reasons  for  knowing.  For  a  few  moments 
their  glances  met  and  contended,  until  the  un- 
canny fire  in  his  waned  and  fell  before  the  con- 
centrated scorn  and  command  in  hers.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  the  Master  —  the  Mistress  now 
—  and  her  look  proved  it.  He  closed  his  eyelids, 
as  though  blinded  by  her  gaze.  I  was  very  glad 
that  I  was  not  the  object  of  it. 

"Are  you  mad?"  said  My  Lady,  in  a  low  tone 
of  intense  displeasure. 

His  mouth  opened,  and  the  muscles  of  his 
throat  moved  as  though  he  would  have  replied, 
but  he  answered  never  a  word.  For  two  or  three 
minutes  they  stood  thus,  My  Lady  still  grasping 
his  arm.  Upon  my  honor  I  pitied  the  man.  If 
he  had  dared  to  meet  her  eyes,  I  believe  he  would 
have  fallen  to  the  ground ;  but  he  did  not  dare. 

At  last  she  dropped  his  arm. 


A  Dream  193 

"  Go  to  the  house,"  she  said,  "  and  stay  there  !  " 
The  last  words  had  a  significance  that  touched 
him  hard,  and  he  showed  it  in  his  bearing  as  he 
moved  slowly  away.  My  Lady  watched  him, 
until  he  had  passed  out  of  the  grove  and  was 
well  on  the  way  to  the  house,  and  then  turned 
to  me  and  spoke  with  lowered  eyes. 

"  Mr.  Darke,  it  seems  to  be  the  fate  of  our  fam- 
ily to  be  always  in  the  wrong  where  you  are  con- 
cerned. Though  I  do  not  yet  know  how  it  has 
come  about,  it  seems  that  we  have  done  you  many 
wrongs  ;  many  things  for  which  we  have  "  —  she 
spoke  as  though  there  were  others,  forgetting  that 
she  was  the  last  of  the  family — "we  have  to 
crave  your  pardon ;  and  not  the  least  of  them  is 
this  last  unwarranted  assault  upon  you  by  our 
servant.  Perhaps  our  offences  may  be  past  for- 
giveness. I  do  not  know.  I  cannot  tell  until  I 
hear  the  whole  of  the  story  that  now  Burton  alone 
can  relate.  When  I  find  out  the  facts,  it  will  be 
time  to  see  what  reparation  may  be  possible  ;  and 
I  assure  you  that  we  will  do  all  that  is  in  our 
power  to  make  amends  for  whatever  mistake  has 
been  made.  But  this  last  attack  is  so  unwar- 
ranted by  any  thought  of  ours,  so  utterly  against 
our  wishes,  that  I  beg  your  forgiveness  for  our 
servant's  conduct,  and  hope  you  will  believe  it  is 


194  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

entirely  unlike  anything  we  would  have  approved 
—  least  of  all  at  such  a  time  and  place  as  this ! " 
She  remembered  suddenly  where  she  was,  and 
why  she  was  there;  she  cast  a  sorrowful  look 
toward  the  open  grave  so  close  at  hand. 

Perhaps  the  recollection  of  the  events  of  all  the 
past  few  months,  and  the  realization  of  how  they 
must  have  appeared  from  my  point  of  view,  came 
upon  her  in  one  great  rush ;  for  when  she  fin- 
ished, and  held  out  her  hand  timidly,  as  though 
doubtful  whether  I  would  accept  it,  she  raised 
her  eyes.  And  what  I  saw  there  almost  made 
me  forget  myself,  and  declare  then  and  there  my 
feeling  toward  her.  For  her  eyes  were  bright 
with  the  sheen  of  tears  that  yet  did  not  fall,  and 
they  were  dark  with  shame  for  her  own  part  in 
the  treatment  I  had  received  the  last  few  months. 
And,  still  more,  they  showed  as  much  fear  as  any 
eyes  could  do.  My  Lady  was  afraid  of  me  —  of 
me  —  who  never,  even  at  my  darkest  moment, 
had  harbored  any  feeling  of  resentment  against 
her,  for  I  was  aware  that  she  did  not  know  even 
the  cause  of  my  captivity.  As  she  had  said,  she 
trusted  blindly  to  the  word  of  the  Master,  and  he 
had  not  informed  her  of  his  reasons  for  his  arbi- 
trary act.  Doubtless  he  had  intended  she  should 
know  at  some  time  in  the  future ;  but  when  I 


A  Dream  195 

came  to  discover  what  those  reasons  were,  I  un- 
derstood fully  what  a  painful  subject  it  must  be 
to  him,  and  how  reluctant  he  must  be  to  tell  her 
a  story  of  such  shame,  as  long  as  it  could  be  post- 
poned. While  he  lived,  he  hoped;  and  the  end 
came  upon  him  so  suddenly  that  there  was  no 
time  for  explanations. 

I  felt  a  mighty  longing  to  tell  her  the  truth 
about  myself,  yet  I  saw  it  would  be  neither 
fitting  nor  prudent  just  then;  and  it  was  much 
better  that  I  did  not  since  I  was  far  from  having 
an  inkling  of  the  real  state  of  affairs.  My  story 
would  have  been  true  enough,  as  far  as  I  knew 
it,  but  of  the  things  that  had  been  leading  up  to 
this  matter  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  I  knew  as 
little  as  she  did  herself.  All  along  we  had  played 
at  cross-purposes,  though  none  of  us  were  aware 
of  it.  But  we  both  knew  there  would  be  ample 
time  and  opportunity  to  set  matters  right  later 
on ;  and,  just  at  present,  if  I  spoke  at  all  I  could 
not  stop  until  I  had  told  her  all  I  felt.  So  I  took 
the  timidly  extended  hand  in  both  of  mine,  and 
held  it  for  a  moment  so  firmly  and  withal  so 
tenderly  that  I  think  something  of  my  heart  must 
have  passed  to  her  through  the  pressure  of  our 
hands ;  for,  when  our  eyes  met  again,  it  seemed 
that  much  of  the  shame  and  fear  were  gone  from 


196  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

hers.     If   my  wish  could  take   effect,  I    knew   it 
must  be  so. 

Then,  seeing  that  she  was  now  entirely  alone, 
I  silently  proffered  her  my  arm,  and,  after  a 
momentary  hesitation,  she  laid  her  hand  lightly 
within  it,  and  we  paced  slowly  back  to  the  house. 
The  negroes  fell  into  line  behind  us,  and  I  knew 
that  they  would  never  again  look  on  me  as  a  spy 
or  an  enemy.  That  touch  of  My  Lady's  hand 
had  set  me  right  in  their  eyes  ;  how  or  why  the 
change  had  come  might  be  a  mystery  to  them, 
but  the  fact  was  accomplished.  From  hencefor- 
ward I  was  to  be  regarded  as  a  gentleman  and 
a  friend,  and  I  knew  that  I  could  count  on  their 
services  and  assistance  in  anything  that  did  not 
seem  directly  to  threaten  My  Lady's  welfare. 

It  was  only  a  few  hundred  yards  to  the  house, 
and  on  our  way  there  was  not  a  sound  save  the 
noise  of  trampling  feet ;  and  even  that  seemed  to 
be  muffled,  out  of  respect  to  the  dead  Master  and 
the  living  Lady.  From  my  previous  experience 
I  would  not  have  believed  that  a  crowd  of  negroes 
could  march  for  even  such  a  short  distance  with- 
out an  outbreak  of  that  garrulity  —  the  universal 
passion  for  noise,  of  whatever  sort  —  that  pos- 
sesses their  class.  Their  conduct  that  evening 
raised  my  estimate  of  the  human  possibilities 


A  Dream  197 

of  the  race,  and  at  the  same  time  magnified 
my  already  high  opinion  of  the  personal  force 
of  the  Master.  The  man  who  could  exert  such 
influence  three  days  after  his  death  must  have 
been  a  creature  of  unusual  endowments. 

As  we  approached  the  house,  the  negroes 
dropped  out  of  line,  one  by  one,  and  went  to  their 
own  quarters.  My  senses  that  evening  were 
attuned  to  an  abnormal  degree  of  perception ; 
and,  though  I  hardly  noticed  it  at  the  time,  my 
whole  thought  being  devoted  to  My  Lady,  there 
was  not  the  sound  of  a  breaking  twig,  or  the  sight 
of  a  belated  blackbird,  that  I  could  not  recollect 
years  afterward  with  a  distinctness  that  was 
astounding.  Yet,  at  the  time,  the  only  thought 
in  my  mind  was  of  My  Lady.  The  whole  world, 
for  me,  contained  but  two  figures  —  hers  and 
mine ;  and  if  all  the  slaves  had  been  swallowed 
up  like  Korah  and  his  followers,  I  should  not 
have  noted  it  —  should  not  have  missed  them. 
Those  who  have  been  fortunate  enough  to  ex- 
perience such  supreme  moments  will  understand ; 
those  who  have  not  will  have  something  to  live 
for.  And  one  is  never  too  old,  —  Love  does  not 
count  the  years  of  those  to  whom  he  comes. 

At  the  open  door  of  the  house,  we  paused,  and 
the  sweet  dream  in  which  I  had  been  moving 


198  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

came  to  an  end.  My  Lady  removed  her  hand, 
and  performed  a  sweeping  courtesy,  which  I  re- 
turned properly.  It  made  me  almost  laugh  aloud, 
to  think  of  such  civilities  between  a  man  in  the 
soiled  and  tattered  habiliments  which  covered  me, 
and  a  woman  sumptuously  dressed  like  My  Lady. 
For  she  made  no  pretence  of  a  parade  of  mourn- 
ing ;  there  was  no  world  of  society  surrounding 
her,  to  gauge  the  depth  of  her  grief  by  the  sombre- 
ness  of  the  garb  she  wore.  The  thought  of  a 
mourning  garment  never  entered  her  head.  In- 
stead of  mourning  she  wore  her  richest  garments ; 
if  she  had  been  bidden  to  a  feast  of  kings,  she 
could  not  have  done  more  to  honor  the  occasion 
and  the  cause.  He  had  loved  to  see  her  beauti- 
fully adorned;  this  last  occasion  demanded  the 
most  absolute  submission  to  his  lightest  wishes. 
And  I,  who  stood  by  her  side,  ragged,  dirty,  burnt 
by  the  semi-tropical  sun,  honored  her  for  what 
to  my  mind  was  the  highest  mark  of  respect  she 
could  have  shown. 

My  Lady  moved  to  enter  the  house. 

"  I  thank  you,  sir,  for  your  kindness,"  she 
said,  with  a  humbleness  that  was  mightily  becom- 
ing, but  that  irked  me  as  coming  from  her,  and 
somehow  lowered  my  opinion  of  myself  (which 
was  fast  becoming  complacent). 


A  Dream  199 

"  My  Lady,"  I  murmured,  with  a  humility  that 
was  quite  as  heartfelt  as  her  own  (even  if  she  did 
not  know  it  then),  "  I  beg  you  to  believe  that  I 
am  ever  your  true  servant." 

She  blushed,  and  seemed  slightly  confused. 

"You  have  my  thanks  again,  sir,"  she  said.  "  I 
will  not  disparage  your  generosity.  To-night  I 
feel  hardly  able  to  undergo  any  more  painful 
scenes,  and  must  therefore  beg  your  patience 
until  to-morrow.  There  is  an  explanation  due  to 
me,  as  well  as  to  you,  and  we  will  have  it  then,  if 
such  is  your  pleasure.  There  is  but  one  man  who 
can  furnish  the  clew  to  this  coil,  and  he  shall  give 
it."  Her  lips  closed  firmly,  and  her  brow  con- 
tracted. I  knew  what  was  in  her  mind ;  that  Bur- 
ton might  be  reluctant  to  publish  the  facts  in  his 
possession,  especially  when  they  must  necessarily 
work  toward  my  rehabilitation  in  My  Lady's  good 
graces.  By  this  time,  I  knew  that  she  had  already 
placed  me  in  my  proper  sphere.  That  the  Master 
had  declared  his  approval  of  me  was  quite  enough 
to  work  this  change  in  her,  without  any  knowledge 
of  his  reasons.  She  accepted  his  second  judgment 
as  blindly  as  she  had  done  the  first.  But  Burton's 
evident  hatred  of  me  might  possibly  prevent  him 
from  believing  this,  and  he  might  think  it  possible 
to  injure  me  in  her  sight  by  withholding  the  truth, 
or  by  telling  a  false  tale. 


2OO  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

However,  I  had  great  faith  in  My  Lady's  powers 
of  persuasion  and  command ;  and  I  had  no  doubt 
that  if  these  failed,  she  would  use  her  utmost 
endeavors  at  compulsion.  Either  way  I  foresaw 
a  bad  quarter  of  an  hour  in  store  for  Burton. 

Looking  back  on  it  at  this  late  day,  it  seems 
strange  that  it  never  struck  either  of  us,  until  long 
afterward,  that  the  altered  relation  between  us 
would  have  more  than  justified  her  ordering  ac- 
commodation to  be  prepared  for  me  in  the  house. 
Instead,  we  parted  at  the  door  with  much  for- 
mality, and,  while  she  entered  the  house,  I  took 
my  way  unconsciously,  and  as  a  matter  of  course, 
to  my  rough  cabin  in  the  grove  half  a  mile  away. 
In  truth,  I  had  other  and  more  important  matters 
to  think  of  than  a  temporary  lodging-place ;  and, 
in  the  now  altered  state  of  things,  my  cabin  was 
endeared  to  me.  Since  I  had  been  free  to  go  when 
and  where  I  would,  the  place  was  a  home. 

It  was  fast  growing  dark  when  I  reached  the 
cabin,  but  there  was  a  glow  of  happiness  in  my 
mind  that  kept  me  from  noticing  the  gloom  with- 
out ;  and  for  hours  I  sat  in  the  door,  thinking  over 
the  past,  and  dreaming  dreams  too  grand  and  too 
holy  to  be  recorded  even  here.  Almost  uncon- 
sciously I  had  sought  the  little  riding-whip,  and 
disinterred  it  from  its  place  of  concealment,  and 


A  Dream  201 

sat  with  it  in  my  hand,  drawing  it  often  through 
my  fingers  as  though  exchanging  caresses  with  it. 
The  little  thing  seemed  to  me  to  intensify  the  con- 
trast between  my  present  standing  with  My  Lady 
and  that  at  the  time  I  had  first  made  acquaintance 
with  the  whip.  How  long  ago  that  was ! 

At  last  I  roused  myself  and  felt  my  way  to  my 
hard  couch,  and  threw  myself  upon  it  without 
undressing.  Even  then  I  tossed  restlessly  for  a 
long  while,  unable  to  free  my  mind  of  the  thoughts 
that  would  come  surging  up  like  the  breakers  off 
Henlopen.  But  at  length  I  fell  into  sleep ;  and 
then  I  dreamed  strange  dreams,  that  passed  in  a 
confused  kaleidoscopic  train,  until  finally  they 
crystallized  into  one  which  I  knew,  even  while 
asleep,  would  last  long  in  my  memory. 

I  dreamed  that  I  was  once  more  battling  with 
the  storm  in  the  darkness,  until  I  was  cast  violently 
ashore.  As  I  crawled  up  the  beach,  the  sun  rose 
with  a  bound,  and  flooded  the  sand  and  the  dunes 
with  light ;  yet  the  place  was  cursed  with  an  ap- 
palling loneliness.  I  was  fearful  of  I  knew  not 
what,  and  sat  there  for  an  interminable  time,  not 
daring  to  stir,  until  the  night  fell  once  more,  and 
I  welcomed  the  darkness  as  a  friendly  shelter  from 
the  fear  that  devoured  me.  Then  I  rose  and 
walked  the  beach  for  miles,  until  my  knees  bent 


2O2  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

for  very  weariness,  and  the  soles  of  my  boots  were 
worn  through  by  the  grinding  sand.  At  first  I  felt 
confident  and  hopeful  in  the  shelter  of  the  dark- 
ness ;  but,  as  the  time  passed,  and  weary  mile  after 
mile  was  traversed,  my  earlier  terror  began  to  re- 
turn, growing  ever  stronger  and  stronger,  until  I 
could  hear,  as  well  as  feel,  my  heart  beating  swiftly 
and  heavily  under  the  excitement.  I  dragged 
foot  after  foot,  wishing  to  stop,  to  turn,  yet  utterly 
powerless  to  resist  the  force  that  drove  me  for- 
ward to  some  unknown  dreadful  fate,  until  at 
length  I  entered  a  sort  of  tunnel  formed  of  shin- 
ing threads,  that  grew  narrower  at  every  step. 
Far  ahead  I  could  see  a  Thing  —  massive,  power- 
ful, horrible,  though  I  could  not  discern  its  out- 
line. I  knew  that  it  lay  in  wait  for  me  —  and  I 
could  not  avoid  it.  Nearer  and  nearer  I  drew, 
until  I  could  make  out  a  part  of  it,  and  it  grew 
into  the  form  of  a  monstrous  spider.  And  as  I 
came  nearer  still,  it  threw  out  a  coil  that  caught 
me  round  the  chest  and  bound  my  arms  to  my 
sides.  I  struggled  helplessly,  but  silently  —  for 
I  seemed  to  know  the  uselessness  of  any  outcry  — 
while  thread  after  thread  was  wound  about  me, 
until  I  lay  bound  hand  and  foot.  The  creature's 
eyes  grew  brighter,  glittered  more  hatefully,  as  it 
approached  me,  until  the  glare  of  them  became 


A  Dream  203 

maddening ;  and,  as  it  neared  me,  the  spider's  head 
took  on  the  likeness  of  a  face  that  I  knew.  Even 
in  my  impotent  writhings,  it  seemed  of  greater 
moment  to  recollect  the  owner  of  that  face  than 
to  break  the  entangling  cords.  The  glare  of  the 
eyes  grew  and  grew,  until  I  could  feel  the  rays  of 
heat  issuing  from  them  and  scorching  my  face. 
I  ceased  the  hopeless  struggle,  but  gave  one  great 
cry  of  utter  despair,  and  awoke. 


XII 

AN   AWAKENING 

STRUGGLING  back  to  consciousness,  I  still  felt 
the  heat  striking  on  my  face,  and,  as  I  awoke, 
the  glare  from  the  eyes  of  the  spider  ceased 
abruptly,  to  be  replaced  by  another  quite  as 
intolerable,  which  I  finally  made  out  to  come 
from  a  torch  held  close  to  my  face.  Behind 
the  torch  I  could  make  out  a  face  staring  into 
mine,  and  it  was  the  face  of  the  spider  of  my 
dreams.  In  sleep,  I  had  not  been  able  to  rec- 
ollect it ;  but  waking,  I  saw  the  face  of  my 
enemy  —  the  face  of  Burton. 

Instinctively  I  knew  that  his  presence  there 
boded  no  good  to  me,  and  instantly  I  attempted 
to  spring  to  my  feet ;  for,  though  I  knew  his 
strength  to  be  immensely  greater  than  my  own, 
there  is  an  instinct  deep  in  the  nature  of  every 
man  that  compels  even  the  weakest  to  fight  for 
his  life  —  or  for  his  death  —  against  whatever 
hopeless  odds.  But  my  endeavor  ended  quickly, 
when  I  found  myself  bound  hand  and  foot  to 

204 


An  Awakening  205 

the  couch  with  coils  of  rope  that  wound  around 
me  and  it.  They  had  not  been  drawn  tightly 
enough  to  wake  me,  yet  they  were  close  enough 
and  numerous  enough  to  prevent  my  moving 
even  a  joint,  except  my  head  and  neck,  which 
were  free.  At  once  I  realized  the  situation,  and 
wondered  why  he  had  not  gagged  me  as  well. 

I  let  my  head  fall  back,  and  for  some  moments 
we  gazed  at  one  another  without  speaking.  He 
gloated  over  the  condition  of  his  captive,  and  I 
glared  back  at  him  in  a  rage  that  left  me  no  mind 
to  think  of  the  probable  outcome  of  the  business. 
Finally,  seeing  that  I  was  not  likely  to  speak 
first,  he  burst  into  one  of  his  ghastly,  expression- 
less laughs. 

"  What  a  come  down  from  our  late  heroics ! " 
he  remarked  tauntingly.  "  Knowing  me  as  you 
did,  did  you  really  expect  that  you  were  going  to 
depart  in  honor  and  favor?  Fool!  I  did  not 
underrate  your  ability,  as  you  found  when  you 
attempted  to  escape;  you  should  not  have  de- 
spised mine.  You  have  had  enough  experience 
of  me  and  my  ways !  Why,  if  I  had  been  in 
your  place,  I  should  have  barricaded  my  doors 
and  windows,  and  sat  watching  all  night ;  you 
would  never  have  caught  me  asleep  and  help- 
less. You  knew  it  was  either  your  life  or  mine, 


2C>6  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

and  that  the  matter  must  be  settled  before  to- 
morrow night  —  and  yet  you  did  not  take  the 
pains  to  guard  yourself  at  this  last  moment,  but 
let  me  bind  you  at  my  leisure.  Such  carelessness 
is  astounding;  it  is  hardly  credible.  But  you 
will  never  have  a  chance  to  profit  by  the 
lesson ! " 

He  chuckled  fiendishly,  and  my  heart  stopped 
beating  as  I  realized  his  meaning.  He  was  right ; 
knowing  his  hatred,  I  had  been  a  stupendous  fool. 
He  meant  to  murder  me,  quietly  and  leisurely, 
and  in  some  way  that  would  leave  no  ground  for 
suspecting  him.  And  here  I  lay  as  helpless  as 
I  had  been  in  the  spider's  net  of  my  dream. 
There  seemed  to  be  something  prophetic  about 
that  dream  —  or  perhaps  it  was  merely  a  sleep- 
distorted  perception  of  what  was  actually  occur- 
ring at  that  time. 

I  tried  to  keep  my  voice  steady,  as  I  asked, 
"  You  mean  to  murder  me,  then  ? " 

He  nodded  affirmatively,  although  his  answer 
was  a  negative  —  a  mocking  one. 

"  Oh,  no ;  we  won't  use  such  an  ugly  word. 
I  have  a  well-founded  notion  that  you  are  going 
to  disappear;  that  is  all.  An  accident  will  hap- 
pen at  an  opportune  moment." 

"Not  the  first  of  the  kind,  perhaps,"  I  said 
slowly. 


An  Awakening  207 

"  No,  not  the  first,"  he  returned,  as  quietly  as 
though  he  were  speaking  of  the  most  ordinary 
event  imaginable.  "  You  know  something  about 
that.  The  occasion  calls  for  a  fresh  sacrifice, 
and  the  call  is  going  to  be  answered  quickly." 

"  Why  ? " 

"Why?"  he  shouted.  "Because  it  is  your 
life  or  mine ;  because  I  hate  you !  Because 
you  love  My  Lady  ;  because  My  Lady  —  He 
choked,  and  I  saw  a  chance,  slight  though  it 
was. 

"And  what  will  My  Lady  say  to  you  when  she 
learns  this  last  deed  of  yours  ?  " 

He  glared  fiercely  at  the  mention  of  her. 

"  Do  you  think  I  do  not  know  that  she  is  out 
of  my  reach  already  ? "  he  cried.  "  Whether 
she  suspects  me  or  not,  she  will  be  no  farther 
from  me.  I  never  had  any  hope ;  I  knew  my 
own  position  too  well." 

A  light  was  breaking  on  me ;  his  wild  words 
told  a  story  that  I  had  never  imagined  before  — 
a  story  of  hopeless  passion  for  a  being  infinitely 
above  him  in  mind  and  station.  Now  I  thought 
I  held  the  secret  of  his  hatred  toward  me ;  he 
would  have  hated  any  white  man  who  landed 
on  the  island,  through  fear  that  My  Lady  might 
come  to  care  for  the  stranger.  But  to  have  been 


208  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

jealous  of  me,  the  despised  spy,  the  distrusted 
enemy  !  Despite  my  situation,  I  laughed  aloud 
at  the  idea. 

"  So  you  loved  My  Lady,  and  were  jealous 
of  my  presence  ? "  I  remarked,  still  laughing. 
"You  called  me  a  fool,  just  now,  but  you  have 
shown  yourself  a  greater  one !  Could  you  not 
see  that  My  Lady  ranked  me  lower  than  the 
negroes  ?  Even  you  stood  higher  in  her  opinion 
than  I  did.  She  took  me  for  a  criminal  —  a  spy, 
an  enemy  of  some  sort  —  Heaven  only  knows 
what !  You  had  no  cause  to  be  jealous  of  me, 
of  all  men." 

"  So  you  do  not  love  her,  then  ? "  he  queried, 
with  a  sneer. 

"What  has  that  to  do  with  it?"  I  returned. 
"  Yes,  I  do  love  her ;  I  do  not  see  how  any  man, 
high  or  low,  could  help  doing  the  same.  So 
I  can  understand  your  feeling,  and  have  a  sort 
of  sympathy  for  a  fellow-sufferer.  But  certainly 
she  has  never  dreamed  of  such  a  thing;  and,  if 
she  had,  it  could  have  made  no  difference  to  her. 
I  have  had  as  little  hope  as  you  yourself,  my 
friend,  as  you  must  have  known  very  well." 

It  was  true,  yet  not  the  whole  truth.  As  I 
said,  I  had  had  as  little  hope  as  himself ;  but 
the  events  attending  the  Master's  death  had 


An  Awakening  209 

altered  all  that,  and  now  the  whole  situation 
was  vastly  different.  No  insuperable  obstacle 
blocked  my  path  any  longer. 

Burton  saw  the  distinction  as  clearly  as  I  did 
myself.  However  mad  he  might  be,  he  was  no 
dullard. 

"  But  now  ?  "  he  asked  cunningly.  "  Would 
you  have  no  hope  now  if  I  should  let  you  go  ?  " 

I  was  silent  for  a  moment  while  he  scanned  my 
face,  and,  doubtless,  read  its  expression  easily. 

"Yes,  I  should  hope,"  I  answered  slowly,  "but 
I  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  my  chance  would 
be  any  better  than  any  other  man's."  Of  course  I 
meant  a  man  of  her  station  and  mine ;  I  put  him 
out  of  the  question,  and  he  knew  it. 

"So!"  he  said  very  quietly.  "  Well,  whatever 
you  may  have  hoped,  you  may  as  well  give  up  the 
thought.  You  and  she  will  never  meet  again  —  on 
earth,  at  least.  I  know  I  cannot  have  her  myself, 
but  no  other  man  shall !  You  are  the  first  that 
has  come,  and  I  intend  to  remove  you.  Perhaps 
it  may  comfort  you  to  know  that  as  long  as  I  live 
no  other  man  shall  fare  better  than  you." 

"  You  surely  don't  expect  to  murder  every  man 
who  looks  at  My  Lady  with  admiration  ?  "  I  asked, 
amazed. 

"Why  not?"  he  returned  coolly.     "Not  many 


2io  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

are  likely  to  come  here ;  those  that  do  shall  '  dis- 
appear '  in  one  way  or  another.  Nor  shall  she 
leave  the  island,  if  my  ingenuity  can  prevent  it. 
You  can  guess  whether  my  cunning  will  be  suffi- 
cient for  the  purpose.  You  have  encountered  it 
several  times." 

"  Yet  in  one  way  or  another  I  escaped  at  least 
five  times  when  you  counted  me  as  surely  dead," 
I  said.  "  You  may  be  as  unsuccessful  another 
time." 

"  But  the  last  time  will  not  fail,"  he  returned, 
with  assurance. 

I  took  time  to  think.  If  I  should  cry  out  for 
help  he  could  easily  strangle  me,  or  beat  out  my 
brains  before  I  could  utter  a  second  sound,  and 
long  before  help  could  arrive,  even  though  my  cry 
should  be  heard,  of  which  there  was  hardly  a  bare 
chance.  The  negro  quarters  were  nearly  half  a 
mile  distant ;  even  in  the  stillness  of  the  night  it 
was  hardly  possible  for  any  cry  to  reach  them, 
much  less  to  awaken  any  of  the  sleepers.  If  one 
of  them  should  come,  it  was  almost  certain  that 
Burton  would  order  him  back  again,  and  that  he 
would  obey.  They  were  friendly  enough  to  me, 
but  he  was  their  overseer.  My  Lady  might  hear 
of  it  afterward,  but  it  would  be  too  late  to  be  of 
help  to  me. 


An  Awakening  211 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  me  ? "  I  asked, 
seeking  to  gain  time. 

"  Put  you  out  of  the  way,  as  I  said." 

"  How  ? " 

He  laughed  cunningly.  "  I'll  tell  you  that  after 
a  while.  There  is  no  hurry.  It  is  barely  midnight, 
and  a  single  hour  will  give  me  plenty  of  time  to  do 
my  work." 

His  reticence  did  not  tend  to  lessen  the  feeling 
of  panic  that  I  felt  creeping  over  me.  I  was  so 
helpless,  and  so  far  from  help,  lying  there  corded 
from  head  to  foot !  But  I  forced  the  feeling  away 
for  the  time ;  if  I  lost  my  head  I  was  as  good  as 
dead,  for  he  might  take  it  into  his  head  at  any  mo- 
ment to  make  an  end  of  me  without  delay,  and 
every  moment  of  time  gained  gave  an  additional 
chance,  though  the  hope  was  but  a  forlorn  one.  I 
could  not  imagine  from  what  quarter  help  could 
possibly  come,  and,  indeed,  expected  none ;  but 
still  I  hoped.  If  I  could  keep  him  talking  for  a 
while,  something  —  anything  —  might  occur.  I  had 
everything  to  gain  and  nothing  to  lose  by  delay. 

"  Why  did  you  not  kill  me  as  I  lay  asleep  ? "  I 
asked. 

"  Oh,  I  am  no  common  murderer,"  he  answered, 
as  demurely  as  an  innocent  girl.  "  If  such  work 
is  forced  on  me,  I  like  to  get  all  the  pleasure  I  can 


212  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

out  of  it.  I  have  thought  of  this  moment  for  hours 
at  a  time,  and  have  changed  one  scheme  for  an- 
other over  and  over  again,  until  I  have  every  de- 
tail planned,  and  a  resource  prepared  for  every 
possible  contingency.  Floods  and  earthquakes 
could  not  interfere  with  my  intention  this  night ! 
Merely  to  put  you  out  of  the  way  would  have 
afforded  me  only  a  moment's  gratification  ;  as  it  is, 
I  expect  to  get  several  hours'  entertainment  out  of 
you  before  the  final  performance.  I  have  a  story 
to  tell  that  may  interest  you ;  it  ought  to  interest 
you  intensely.  I  think  the  telling  of  it  will  be  as 
dramatic  to  both  of  us  as  the  best  play  that  ever 
was  written.  You  see,  I  can  talk  frankly  to  you, 
for  you  are  as  good  as  dead,  as  far  as  repeating  it 
is  concerned ;  so  I  can  tell  all  the  truth  of  it  for 
once.  I  have  carried  the  thing  with  me  for  nearly 
thirty  years,  and  I  have  often  longed  for  a  confi- 
dant on  whom  I  could  rely.  If  I  could  have  told 
it  before,  I  believe  I  could  have  forgotten  the  thing 
long  ago.  But  I  have  had  to  conceal  it,  and  that 
has  made  me  uncomfortable.  There  — 

"  But,  if  you  murder  me,  what  will  become  of 
you  then  ?  You  will  have  to  conceal  that  secret, 
too,"  I  interrupted. 

"  Not  at  all,"  he  returned.  "  I  shall  merely  tell 
it  to  the  next  one  who  finds  himself  in  your  situa- 


An  Awakening  213 

tion.  I  am  very  sure  there  will  be  others,  for  not 
even  my  skill  can  keep  an  occasional  visitor  from 
stumbling  on  this  place.  But,  as  I  was  going  to 
say  :  there  is  no  better  confidant  than  a  dying 
man,"  he  chuckled,  gloating  over  his  victim. 
"  There  is  no  danger  that  you  will  tell  any  tales, 
even  by  accident." 

His  cool  bearing  and  his  intense  glare  made  me 
suspect  that  his  story,  whatever  it  was,  had  crazed 
him,  and  that  I  had  to  do  with  a  maniac,  or  a  man 
who  was  on  the  verge  of  becoming  one.  If  I 
could  but  wile  him  to  give  me  respite.  I  could 
not  realize  death.  The  blood  coursed  strongly 
through  my  veins;  I  was  as  well  and  strong  as 
I  had  ever  been  in  my  life,  and  a  new  vision  of 
possible  happiness  had  burst  upon  my  view  but 
a  few  hours  before.  To  give  up  that  at  his  bid- 
ding, to  regard  myself  as  one  who  was  already 
done  with  the  things  of  this  world,  was  impossi- 
ble, and  I  simply  could  not  resign  myself  to  my 
apparent  fate. 

Burton  lit  a  fresh  torch ,  of  which  he  had  a 
number,  and  stuck  it  in  a  cleft  among  the  logs 
and  lay  back  in  his  seat,  while  he  picked  up  from 
the  floor  a  heavy  club  of  oak  (such  as  no  doubt 
he  had  used  times  out  of  mind  to  cow  rebellious 
slaves)  and  shook  it  over  me. 


214  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  I  feel  like  talking  to-night,"  he  said,  as  coolly 
as  though  a  human  life  was  not  concerned.  "If 
you  are  disposed  to  listen  to  me  quietly,  very 
good;  you  will  have  so  many  minutes  more  to 
live,  though  I  warn  you  it  will  not  make  the  least 
difference  in  your  ultimate  fate.  Of  course  you 
know  there  is  no  chance  of  any  hearer  being 
about ;  but,  if  you  commence  to  make  a  noise,  I 
shall  quietly  hammer  in  your  head  with  this,  and 
finish  my  work  at  my  leisure." 

He  shook  the  club  menacingly,  and  I  could 
not  help  shrinking  from  the  motion,  whereat  he 
laughed  again. 

"If  you  like  the  prospect,  very  good,"  he  went 
on.  "  If  you  choose,  you  can  listen  to  my  story 
—  or  my  confession,  if  you  prefer  to  call  it  so  — 
and  thus  prolong  your  life  until  I  have  finished." 

Life  is  sweet,  even  for  a  brief  respite.  There 
was  small  choice,  and  I  told  him  so.  More  and 
more,  he  convinced  me  of  his  madness.  I  must 
humor  his  fancy. 

Perhaps  you  are  brave  in  the  ordinary  accepta- 
tion of  the  term  ;  perhaps  you  are  a  coward.  I 
thought  I  had  as  little  fear  of  death  as  the  aver- 
age man  ;  in  fact,  I  knew  it,  for  I  had  found  it 
necessary  to  face  it  more  than  once,  and  had  not 
found  my  courage  wanting.  But  it  is  one  thing 


An  Awakening  215 

to  face  death  in  fighting,  where  the  excitement  of 
the  struggle  keeps  one  from  realizing  the  possi- 
bilities, or  at  least  makes  him  sure  that  if  he  does 
fall,  he  falls  gloriously,  and  with  a  chance  of  re- 
venging himself.  Even  to  die  a  captive,  in  the 
face  of  the  enemy,  has  its  compensations,  for  there 
are  others  present  whose  presence  may  fortify 
him,  and  who  will  testify  to  the  victim's  courage. 
I  believe,  now,  that  more  than  half  the  courage 
in  this  world  is  born  of  fear  —  of  the  fear  that 
others  may  cast  an  imputation  of  cowardice,  of 
which  every  man  is  horribly  afraid.  I  wonder 
how  many  men  have  gone  into  battle  and  ac- 
quitted themselves  gloriously,  who  were  upheld 
only  by  the  thought  of  what  somebody  might  say 
if  they  shirked  ?  I  think  that  such  courage  —  the 
courage  that  is  afraid  to  shirk  —  is  far  greater  than 
that  of  the  man  who  "  has  never  known  fear." 
He  is  brave  through  ignorance ;  the  other,  through 
knowledge,  which  is  always  superior  to  ignorance ; 
through  moral  courage  or  moral  fear  —  which- 
ever you  please,  only  he  is  the  greater  and  the 
braver. 

For  myself,  I  must  own  that  at  this  moment 
I  was  an  abject  coward ;  and  if  you  wonder  at  my 
state  of  mind,  you  have  only  to  wait  until  you  are 
helpless,  with  some  one  else  ready  at  the  word  to 


216  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

beat  out  your  brains,  and  then  compare  your 
feelings  with  mine. 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  your  story,"  I  answered 
as  easily  as  I  might.  "  Perhaps  it  will  clear  up, 
this  thick  cloud  of  mystery  that  has  surrounded 
me  ever  since  I  was  cast  up  on  your  island." 

"  A  la  bonne  heure"  he  responded  less  fiercely ; 
and  I  stared  to  hear  a  man  of  his  station,  and  at 
such  a  time  and  place,  using  a  French  expression 
as  though  brought  up  to  it. 


XIII 

AN   AUTOBIOGRAPHY 

THE  story  which  Burton  told  that  fearful  night 
became  graved  upon  my  memory  to  the  least 
incident.  I  may  have  failed  in  the  lapse  of  years 
to  remember  his  exact  words,  but  not  one  fact  of 
the  strange  tale  has  escaped  my  memory.  En- 
grossed in  the  story,  I  was  able  for  the  most  part 
to  forget  my  dreary  situation  —  to  think  only  of 
what  he  was  setting  forth  so  carefully.  He 
seemed  to  relish  the  narrative,  too,  and  to  dwell 
lovingly  on  all  the  details  of  his  early  life,  as  if 
he  were  painting  for  my  benefit  the  picture  of  a 
familiar  scene,  which  for  thirty  years  had  burnt 
itself  into  his  imagination.  From  time  to  time  he 
interrupted  himself  to  light  a  fresh  torch,  or  to 
gloat  over  me.  But  for  the  most  part,  his  tale 
ran  on  steadily,  swiftly,  to  its  strange  end. 

"  I    was   born   in  Sussex  County,  Virginia  [he 
began].     No  doubt  you  know  that  Sussex  is  not  a 
rich  or   a   very  fertile   country,  and    my   parents 
217 


2i 8  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

were  of  the  poorest  among  the  few  people  who 
lived  there  by  choice  or  necessity.  Consequently, 
when  my  mother  died  —  I  was  hardly  more  than 
ten  years  old  at  the  time  —  it  was  decided  by  the 
parish  that  I  should  be  bound  to  service  for  a 
term  of  years  to  whoever  should  make  the  best 
offer  for  me.  Unfortunately  for  me,  unlike  the 
man  you  know,  I  was  so  small  and  so  weak  in 
appearance  that  most  of  those  who  saw  me  de- 
clined to  have  anything  to  do  with  me,  probably 
thinking  it  would  be  many  a  day  before  my  labor 
would  pay  for  even  my  food  and  clothing.  Only 
one  man  offered  to  take  me;  and  though  my 
guardians  quickly  took  the  offer,  when  I  saw  my 
new  master  I  would  have  escaped  even  into  the 
wilderness,  if  it  had  been  possible.  If  ever  a 
man's  face  was  that  of  a  brute,  his  was.  His  tight- 
shut  lips,  and  his  square  heavy  jaw,  over  which 
his  cheeks  hung  down  in  great  folds,  spoke  of 
avarice  and  cruelty.  Those  who  had  me  in 
charge  must  have  known  the  fellow's  character, 
but  they  were  anxious  to  get  me  off  their  hands, 
and  cared  little  whether  I  should  have  my  brains 
beaten  out,  or  be  starved,  in  my  new  home. 

"  He  took  me  with  him  when  he  returned  to 
his  plantation  on  the  northern  edge  of  the  county. 
I  had  thought  myself  miserable  enough  in  our 


An  Autobiography  219 

poor  home,  but  that  man  showed  me  worse  things. 
Constantly  half-starved,  I  was  kept  at  work  that 
was  too  heavy  for  even  a  strong  boy  —  and  I  was 
far  from  being  strong,  then.  When  he  had  a 
mind  to  he  beat  me  unmercifully.  If  it  had  not 
been  that  I  was  knowing  for  my  age  and  could 
live  on  the  plants  and  roots  that  grew  in  the 
woods,  I  should  have  been  dead  the  first  month. 

"  I  spent  two  awful  years  in  this  way.  Weak 
as  I  appeared,  —  I  was  only  a  bag  of  bones,  — 
there  must  have  been  tough  fibre  in  my  puny 
body,  otherwise  I  should  never  have  got  the 
strength  you  have  felt.  I  owe  that  to  my  de- 
liverer, and  I  have  never  forgotten  the  debt  — 
except  once. 

"One  day  my  weakness  made  me  fail  in  some 
task  that  my  owner  had  set  me.  As  usual,  I 
expected  a  fearful  punishment,  and  it  came;  he 
beat  me,  not  like  a  dog,  but  worse  than  a  dog. 
My  screams  and  his  efforts  prevented  his  hearing 
the  approach  of  a  horseman,  who  had  heard  my 
outcry  as  he  passed  by  on  the  main  road,  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  away.  He  gave  a  great  shout 
as  he  approached. 

"  '  Stop,  you  brute  ! '  he  cried. 

"  My  owner,  as  he  considered  himself,  stopped, 
though  more  from  surprise  than  anything  else. 


220  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

He  was  burly  and  powerful,  and  the  newcomer, 
though  well-built  and  no  weakling,  was  slighter 
than  himself.  He  stopped  for  a  moment,  and 
then,  without  appearing  to  notice  the  stranger 
further,  struck  me  again.  The  stranger  leaped 
from  his  horse,  and  faced  my  brute. 

"  '  I  said  stop  ! '  he  cried.  '  Do  you  want  to 
kill  the  boy?' 

" '  What  is  that  to  you  ? '  snarled  my  owner. 
'  Go  about  your  business,  or  I  may  serve  you  the 
same,  little  man  ! ' 

"  '  Me  ? '  The  young  man  (he  was  not  over 
twenty)  laughed  at  him,  and  then  frowned.  '  Let 
that  boy  go !  You  have  beaten  him  more  than 
enough,  no  matter  what  his  fault  was.' 

" '  Go  away,  I  tell  you,'  growled  my  owner. 
And  they  had  it  back  and  forth  until,  the  next  I 
knew,  the  stranger  sprang  forward,  and  struck  a 
beautiful  blow.  The  brute  went  down,  with  a  dis- 
colored spot  on  his  cheek  that  began  to  drip  blood. 

"  For  a  moment  he  lay  on  the  ground,  glaring  at 
his  assailant,  who  stood  with  clinched  fists  wait- 
ing for  him  to  rise.  But,  as  he  fell,  it  chanced 
that  his  hand  touched  a  slim  stick  of  cord-wood, 
and,  when  he  scrambled  to  his  feet,  the  club  was 
in  his  hand.  He  turned  to  me,  lying  where  I  had 
fallen  when  he  released  me. 


An  Autobiography  221 

"  '  You  first ! '  he  howled,  savagely  aiming  a 
stout  blow  at  me. 

"  If  he  had  struck  me  as  he  intended,  you  would 
have  had  nothing  to  fear  from  me.  His  stick 
struck  me  a  glancing  blow  on  the  side  of  the 
head,  that  was  not  enough  to  stun  me  completely, 
yet  left  me  unable  to  move,  though  perfectly  able 
to  see  and  understand  what  followed.  I  may  as 
well  mention  here  that  that  blow  paralyzed  nearly 
all  the  muscles  of  my  face  and  certain  of  the  vocal 
muscles  (I  am  not  learned  enough  to  know  which 
ones),  so  that  since  that  time  I  have  been  utterly 
unable  to  express  feeling  of  any  kind  by  my  face 
or  voice. 

"  When  I  opened  my  eyes,  the  stranger  still  faced 
his  opponent,  but  his  hand  held  a  pistol  thrust  into 
the  face  of  the  other. 

"  '  Drop  that  club  ! '  he  commanded  sharply. 
'  Drop  it/  instantly,  or  I  will  kill  you  where  you 
stand,  murderer ! ' 

"The  man  started  at  the  word,  and  glanced 
toward  where  I  lay. 

"  '  Move  back  five  paces  ! ' 

"  He  obeyed  mechanically.  The  pistol  was  a 
powerful  argument. 

"  '  Stand  there ! '  the  young  man  shouted.  '  If 
you  take  a  step  forward  or  backward,  I  shall  shoot 


222  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

you  like  a  rabbit.  And  I  warn  you  that  I  can  hit 
a  button  on  your  coat  at  five  times  the  distance.' 

"  '  I  understand,'  my  master  grunted  in  surly 
fashion.  '  The  boy's  not  hurt  much,  anyhow.' 

"The  victor  then  turned  to  me,  while  he  still 
was  watchful  of  his  prisoner.  As  he  came  close 
to  me,  I  managed  to  move.  He  raised  my  head. 

" '  How  do  you  feel  ? '  he  asked,  in  the  first 
kindly  tone  I  had  heard  for  months.  He  felt  my 
head.  The  blow  had  not  broken  the  skin,  but  it 
had  raised  an  enormous  lump,  and  I  winced  and 
cried  out  when  he  touched  it. 

"He  pushed  and  prodded  vigorously  but  kindly, 
and  though  I  could  not  help  squirming,  I  man- 
aged to  keep  quiet  except  for  an  occasional  gasp, 
and  a  final  sigh  of  relief  when  he  had  got  through 
with  me. 

" '  Bone  not  broken,  I  think,'  he  remarked, 
'  though  we  will  see  further  about  that.  Now,  my 
lad,  sit  there,  and  you  will  see  something  to  do 
your  heart  good.'  He  propped  me  up  against  a 
neighboring  post,  and,  after  putting  his  pistol  back 
in  his  pocket,  approached  my  owner. 

"  '  Is  the  boy  yours  ? '  he  asked. 

" '  Yes.' 

"  '  Your  son  ? ' 

"'No.' 


An  Autobiography  223 

"'What  then?' 

"  '  Bound  boy,'  growled  the  fellow. 

"  '  Ah !     What  will  you  take  for  him  ? ' 

"The  man's  eyes  gleamed  covetously,  but  he 
shook  his  head.  'I  don't  want  to  sell  him  —  he's 
too  useful,'  he  answered. 

"  My  protector  wheeled  around  and  looked  at 
my  puny  frame,  and  then  laughed,  though  with  a 
dark  frown  on  his  face.  '  Yes,  he  surely  looks 
very  useful,  and  if  I  had  not  interfered  your  course 
of  treatment  was  likely  to  make  him  invaluable  ! 
You  need  make  no  pretence  to  me.  How  much 
will  you  take  for  him  ? ' 

"  My  owner  shook  his  head  obstinately,  and  my 
hopes,  which  had  been  exalted  to  the  highest  pitch 
by  the  preceding  conversation,  began  to  fall,  for  I 
knew  the  man's  strength  (and  physical  strength 
was  the  only  thing  that  he  had  taught  me  to  ap- 
preciate), while  that  of  the  stranger  was  unknown 
to  me.  At  best  he  appeared  too  slight  to  win  in 
case  of  a  struggle. 

"  Well,  they  had  more  words  on  the  matter,  but 
at  last  my  owner  gave  way. 

" '  Ten  guineas,'  he  said,  evidently  thinking  the 
price  higher  than  the  other  would  be  willing  to 
pay ;  but  the  stranger  did  not  hesitate.  He  drew 
a  handful  of  gold  from  his  pocket,  at  the  sight 


224  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

of  which  my  owner's  eyes  grew  greedy  enough. 
The  other  continued  to  search  in  his  pockets  for 
something.  '  Can  you  write  ? '  he  asked  briskly, 
drawing  out  an  old  letter.  After  scribbling  a  few 
words  on  the  back,  he  handed  it  to  the  owner, 
with  the  gold  pieces  demanded. 

" '  Sign  the  receipt ! '  he  ordered.  My  owner 
hesitated  for  a  moment,  but  perhaps  the  pistol 
influenced  him  —  perhaps  the  clink  of  the  gold 
pieces.  He  signed,  and  the  stranger  put  the 
paper  into  his  pocket. 

" '  Much  good  may  the  good-for-nothing  young 
hound  do  you ! '  the  old  villain  exclaimed. 

" '  That  settles  my  own  account  with  you,'  the 
young  man  answered.  Then  I  remember  how  a 
twinkle  of  amusement  seemed  to  come  into  his 
eyes,  as  he  said :  '  Well,  now,  I  must  pay  the 
boy's  debts,  I  suppose.  And  he  evidently  owes 
you  for  a  sound  thrashing  you  were  giving  him 
as  I  came  up.' " 

Burton  laughed  with  quiet  enjoyment,  as  if  the 
scene  had  taken  place  only  yesterday.  Then  he 
resumed  :  "  The  bully  took  another  step  backward. 
4 1  don't  want  to  fight,"  he  growled.  '  You've 
bought  the  boy ;  take  him  away ! ' 

44  4  What,  without  paying  his  debt  to  you  ? '  my 
new  master  asked.  4  Oh,  no ;  we  don't  do  things 


An  Autobiography  225 

that  way ;  we  rob  no  one.  The  debt  must  be 
paid,  and  if  you  are  not  satisfied  when  I  am  done 
with  you,  you  shall  have  a  little  more  for  interest. 
You  didn't  quite  kill  him,  so  I  will  not  quite  kill 
you;  but  I  will  try  to  balance  the  account  as 
nearly  as  I  can.' 

" '  I  won't  fight/  repeated  the  man,  turning  to 
move  away.  Two  steps,  and  then  — 

" '  If  you  move  another  step  farther,  I  shall  fire,' 
said  the  stranger,  sternly.  '  I  intend  to  give  you 
a  thorough  trouncing  as  a  quittance ;  but  I  give 
you  an  advantage  that  was  denied  to  the  boy. 
You  may  defend  yourself,  and  I  promise  you  that 
I  will  not  use  a  weapon  as  long  as  you  fight  fairly.' 

"  He  was  approaching  the  other  man  as  he 
spoke,  and,  as  he  came  within  reach,  his  arm 
went  out,  and  he  struck  the  farmer  a  resounding 
smack  on  the  cheek  with  his  open  palm. 

" '  There  is  something  to  warm  your  coward 
blood  ! '  he  said. 

"The  coward  was  roused  at  last,  since  there 
was  no  escape. 

"  '  Damn  you,  you  insolent  puppy ! '  he  cried, 
as  he  sprang  at  his  assailant.  '  I'll  kill  you  and 
the  brat  both ! ' 

"You  can  imagine  with  how  much  interest  I 
watched  the  fight.  I  had  suffered  so  much  and 
Q 


226  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

so  long  from  the  brutality  of  my  late  master,  and 
had  seen  so  many  evidences  of  his  strength,  that 
I  could  hardly  believe  it  possible  for  any  one  to 
overcome  him.  I  felt  sure  that  if  my  new  owner 
should  be  conquered,  the  stronger  man  would 
drive  him  away  and  keep  me,  and  in  that  case  I 
knew  how  much  more  I  should  suffer  for  the 
stranger's  attempt  at  interference.  I  might  have 
taken  heart  from  the  knowledge  that  my  cham- 
pion was  armed,  only  I  had  heard  his  promise 
not  to  use  his  weapon,  and  the  ring  of  truth  in 
his  voice  convinced  me  that  he  would  keep  his 
word,  no  matter  at  what  cost  to  himself  or  me. 
There  have  not  been  many  men  whom  I  have 
met,  whose  word  I  would  have  taken  in  such  a 
matter,  when  the  issue  was  going  against  them. 

"  But  even  to  me,  cowed  as  I  was,  the  issue, 
after  the  first  few  moments,  was  not  in  the  least 
doubtful.  The  elder  man  had  the  advantage  of 
his  heavier  weight  and  a  longer  reach,  but  the 
younger  was  wonderfully  quick  in  his  movements, 
and  used  his  hands  in  a  way  that  proved  he  had 
had  good  training.  The  long  struggle  showed 
me  that  even  a  bully  and  a  coward  may  fight  to 
the  death  when  it  comes  to  the  final  contest. 
The  man  must  have  seen  how  little  chance  he 
had,  yet  he  fought  desperately;  time  and  again 


An  Autobiography  227 

he  was  down,  and  time  and  again  he  arose,  half- 
blinded  and  half-stunned.  Nor  did  my  purchaser 
come  off  free;  despite  his  activity  and  skill,  he 
suffered  more  than  one  hard  knock  that  left  its 
mark  for  many  a  day  afterward.  But  at  last 
a  harder  or  a  better  planted  blow  than  usual 
stretched  the  bigger  man  on  the  ground,  in- 
sensible. 

"The  stranger  gazed  at  him  for  a  moment, 
waiting  for  him  to  rise,  and  then  came  to  where 
I  sat,  and  leaned  against  the  post,  breathing  heav- 
ily, while  he  pulled  a  handkerchief  from  his 
pocket  and  began  wiping  the  blood  from  his  face 
wherever  he  could  feel  it  running.  '  Can  you  get 
me  some  water,  boy  ? '  he  panted. 

"  Throughout  the  struggle  I  had  sat  mo- 
tionless, in  a  passionate  desire  to  see  my  new 
friend  victorious.  Now  I  scrambled  weakly  and 
clumsily  to  my  feet,  and  hurried  to  the  well,  stag- 
gering back  with  a  bucket  half  full  of  water.  He 
drank,  and  then  dipped  his  handkerchief  in  the 
water  and  approached  his  helpless  enemy.  Rais- 
ing his  head,  he  cleaned  the  face  of  the  insensible 
man,  who  soon  began  to  show  signs  of  conscious- 
ness. The  man  was  not  dangerously  hurt,  and 
that  was  all  he  cared  to  know.  After  he  had 
cleaned  his  own  face,  he  remarked, — 


228  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

" '  Well,  lad,  are  you  willing  to  go  with  me,  or 
would  you  rather  stay  here  ? ' 

"  It  was  a  useless  question,  and  he  knew  it.  I 
seized  his  hand  and  clung  to  it  in  a  way  that  must 
have  convinced  him  without  words. 

" '  All  right !  We  must  be  in  a  hurry ; 
come.' 

"  His  horse  had  stood  like  a  statue  during  all  this 
time ;  now  he  took  me  up  behind  him,  and,  after  a 
farewell  glance  at  the  still  prostrate  man,  we  rode 
rapidly  away.  I  have  never  seen  either  the  place 
or  the  man  since  that  day.  If  I  had  ever  met  the 
man,  after  I  was  grown,  I  should  have  killed  him ; 
after  what  he  had  done  to  me,  no  one  would  have 
blamed  me  for  it. 

"  At  the  first  available  place  my  new  master  had 
my  bruises  and  his  own  wounds  patched  up,  and 
provided  me  with  clothes  of  fair  quality,  suitable 
to  the  station  in  life  that  he  expected  me  to  take. 
He  also  bought  a  horse  on  which  I  could  ride 
beside  him.  My  new  peculiarities  of  face  and 
voice  did  not  strike  him  as  strange,  at  first,  since 
he  had  never  known  me  before.  When  he  found 
that  they  dated  from  the  day  of  my  rescue,  he  had 
me  examined  by  the  most  skilful  physicians  and 
surgeons ;  but  not  one  of  them  could  assist  me,  or 
even  offer  any  hope  of  cure.  They  could  not 


An  Autobiography  229 

even  account  for  such  an  effect  following  a  blow 
on  the  head,  though  there  was  no  doubt  that  the 
blow  had  caused  it.  They  said  that  any  blow 
hard  enough  to  have  paralyzed  me  in  that  way 
ought  to  have  killed  me  on  the  spot. 

"  My  rescuer  was  on  his  way  to  his  home,  a  hun- 
dred miles  distant.  In  the  course  of  the  journey  he 
explained  his  intentions  regarding  me.  Young  as 
I  was,  my  past  hardships  had  aged  me  mentally 
much  more  than  one  would  have  supposed;  my 
companion  perceived  this,  and  flattered  me  by  talk- 
ing to  me  as  though  I  had  been  nearly  his  equal  in 
age  and  intelligence.  The  overwhelming  grati- 
tude and  admiration  I  felt  toward  him  developed 
during  those  few  days  into  a  perfect  adoration 
that  never  but  once  failed  to  prompt  me  to  work 
for  his  advantage. 

"  It  was  his  intention,  he  said,  to  make  me  a 
sort  of  confidential  body-servant,  if  I  was  willing 
to  accept  the  place.  When  I  came  to  legal  age, 
I  could  feel  at  liberty  to  remain  with  him  or  to 
seek  my  fortune  in  the  world  at  large,  as  I  should 
elect.  Would  I  accept  ?  I  should  not  have  ob- 
jected if  he  had  chosen  to  make  me  a  field-hand 
among  the  negro  slaves !  He  had  bought  my  life 
with  both  money  and  blood,  and  it  was  at  his 
disposal." 


230  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"What  was  his  name?  "  I  asked  curiously. 

"  It  is  too  soon  to  mention  names,"  Burton  re- 
plied, with  a  cunning  smile.  "  You  will  see  the 
reason  for  this  later  on." 

He  rose  to  light  a  fresh  torch  to  replace  the  one 
that  had  burnt  low.  Then  he  paced  back  and 
forth  near  my  couch,  his  hands  nervously  twisted 
behind  his  back.  Evidently  these  early  scenes 
when  he  first  met  the  Master  (as  I  could  not 
doubt  the  gallant  rescuer  would  prove  to  be) 
moved  him  deeply.  No  wonder  he  had  had  a 
doglike  fidelity  toward  the  Master. 


XIV 

A   DARK  DEED 

"  THE  plantation  was  owned  by  a  gentleman 
whom  I  will  call  Colonel  X.  He  had  a  nephew 
(my  new  master)  named  Edward,  who  was  the  son 
of  his  only  sister,  dead  many  years  before,  and  two 
sons,  Harold  and  Allan." 

"  Allan !  "  I  interrupted  hastily. 

"  Yes,  Allan,"  returned  Burton,  quietly.  "  Why 
not  ?  —  Oh,  I  see  ;  you  are  thinking  of  your  own 
name.  But  you  are  not  the  only  man  in  the  world, 
or  even  in  Virginia,  who  bears  that  name." 

"  No,  I  know  that  well  enough,  only  the  name 
struck  me,"  I  replied.  "  Go  on  ;  your  story  grows 
in  interest." 

"  It  will  be  more  so  presently,"  responded  Bur- 
ton, grimly.  "  But  the  story  will  come  to  an  end 
soon  enough,  and  when  it  does,  you  will  end  too. 
I  am  in  no  hurry,  however,  even  if  you  are.  I  am 
enjoying  myself  more  delightfully  than  I  have  done 
for  years." 

"  I  had  almost  forgotten  my  state,"  I  answered 
231 


232  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

ruefully.      "Why  need   you   have   reminded   me 
of  it?" 

He  favored  me  with  a  critical  but  approving 
glance.  "  It  seems  almost  a  pity  to  kill  a  man 
with  so  much  appreciation,"  he  remarked.  "  But 
I  am  not  to  be  flattered  into  changing  my  mind. 

"  They  had  all  grown  up  together,  and  though 
Harold,  as  elder  son,  was  expected  to  inherit  the 
lion's  share  of  the  estate,  and  even  at  that  time 
was  practically  master,  still  it  had  always  been 
understood  that  Allan  and  his  cousin  were  to  share 
equally  in  the  remainder.  Even  this  remainder 
was  quite  large  enough  to  give  each  of  them  a 
fair  estate,  if  managed  rightly ;  and  I  must  do 
Allan  the  justice  to  say  that  he  never  showed  the 
slightest  jealousy  of  his  cousin.  He  and  Mr. 
Edward  were  like  brothers,  though  not  very  affec- 
tionate or  congenial ;  whereas  Harold  stood  aloof 
from  both  of  them.  He  had  a  disagreeable,  over- 
bearing way  about  his  every  movement  that  made 
him  a  host  of  enemies  on  all  sides.  Allan  had  a 
trace  of  the  same  disposition,  which  prevented 
his  being  the  general  favorite  that  his  cousin  was ; 
still  he  managed  to  make  and  keep  a  goodly  num- 
ber of  friends.  Harold  was  envious  of  both  of 
them,  —  of  their  manners,  and  of  their  popularity, 


A  Dark  Deed  233 

but  especially  of  Mr.  Edward ;  and  he  lost  no 
chance  of  making  him  feel  that  he  considered  him 
an  interloper  in  the  family.  If  it  had  not  been 
for  Mr.  Edward's  pleasant  disposition,  and  his 
desire  to  avoid  giving  or  taking  offence,  there 
might  have  been  grave  trouble  between  them  long 
before  the  final  break  came.  Doubtless  Harold 
would  have  been  glad  to  have  a  quarrel,  especially 
if  he  could  have  managed  to  make  his  cousin  ap- 
pear the  aggressor,  as  he  plainly  tried  to  do.  His 
quarrelsomeness  was  evident  to  all,  except  to 
Colonel  X,  from  whom  all  the  younger  men  en- 
deavored successfully  to  keep  all  knowledge  that 
there  was  any  trouble  among  them.  Many  a  time 
my  blood  boiled  at  Harold's  treatment  of  my  kind 
protector,  until  I  was  ready,  child  as  I  was,  to  fly 
at  his  throat  and  tear  him  like  a  beast.  Neither 
my  patience  nor  my  temper  is  very  long-suffering, 
as  you  know,  and  the  only  thing  that  kept  me 
back  was  the  certainty  that  the  least  sign  of  rebel- 
lion on  my  part  would  make  trouble  for  him. 

"  I  had  my  own  causes  of  complaint,  too ;  for, 
being  blindly  attached  to  Mr.  Edward,  and  con- 
stantly about  him,  I  came  in  for  a  full  share  of 
Harold's  hatred.  He  never  addressed  me  except 
with  a  frowning  face  and  harsh  words  that  made 
my  blood  flow  fast,  and  even  blows  were  not  lack- 


234  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

ing  when  Mr.  Edward  was  not  present  These  I 
endured  in  silence  for  the  sake  of  my  patron,  know- 
ing that  he  would  have  taken  my  part,  regardless 
of  the  consequences,  if  I  had  mentioned  the  mat- 
ter to  him.  So  I  said  nothing;  but  I  treasured 
every  word  and  every  blow  in  my  heart,  until  in 
the  course  of  years  they  grew  to  a  goodly  griev- 
ance, and  Harold  had  his  reward. 

"  If  it  had  not  been  for  the  affliction  that  makes 
me  incapable  of  showing  my  feelings  in  the  usual 
way,  he  could  not  have  failed  to  read  my  thoughts 
on  my  face ;  and  yet  this  very  affliction  made  him 
jeer  at  me.  Allan,  too,  who  had  some  of  the  jeer- 
ing manner  of  his  brother,  often  tormented  me  in 
the  same  way,  though  his  words  never  carried  the 
sting  of  Harold's.  Looking  back  now,  I  do  not 
think  he  really  meant  to  be  cruel,  or  realized  how 
terribly  he  hurt  me.  But,  naturally,  I  was  sensitive 
on  the  subject,  and  though  Allan  never  raised  his 
hand  against  me,  and  in  all  other  respects  treated 
me  well,  his  frequent  irritation  of  my  sore  point 
soon  made  me  hate  him  almost  as  much  as  I  did 
his  brother. 

"  One  great  boon  that  I  enjoyed  was  that  of  edu- 
cation. Mr.  Edward  had  me  instructed  by  the 
same  masters  that  taught  the  country  youth ;  he 
even  went  farther,  and  had  me  given  special  les- 


A  Dark  Deed  235 

sons  by  some  of  the  tutors  who  were  engaged  to 
teach  the  sons  of  the  neighboring  gentry.  He 
sometimes  condescended  also  to  teach  me  himself, 
though  more  through  general  conversation  than  in 
any  set  course  of  study.  It  seemed  as  if  he  could 
not  do  enough  to  make  up  to  me  for  the  advan- 
tages I  had  lacked  in  my  earlier  childhood,  though 
that  lack  was  in  no  way  connected  with  him  or  his. 
I  was  by  nature  quick  at  learning  and  made  rapid 
progress,  so  that  Mr.  Edward  came  to  take  pride 
in  my  accomplishments,  and  was  always  ready  to 
give  them  a  fresh  spur.  If  my  manner  of  speech 
surprises  you,  as  being  above  the  general  style  of  a 
man  of  my  class,  this  is  the  cause  of  the  difference. 
I  have  been  well  educated  and  have  associated  with 
gentle  folk.  My  infirmity  cut  me  off,  to  a  certain 
extent,  from  free  companionship  with  other  peo- 
ple, and  caused  me  to  prefer  solitude  and  the  com- 
panionship of  books  during  my  leisure  time.  They, 
at  least,  never  cast  my  weakness  in  my  face.  Of 
all  the  people  I  met  while  living  on  that  planta- 
tion, there  was  only  one  who  always  spoke  to  me 
in  terms  of  sympathy.  You  can  guess  who  that 
one  was;  and,  sensitive  as  I  was  to  any  mention 
of  my  affliction,  his  few  words  were  so  chosen 
that  they  drew  my  heart  closer  to  him. 

"  Some  six  years  passed  in  this  way.    To  the  end, 


236  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

I  was  treated  no  better  and  no  worse  than  at  the 
beginning. 

"  But  I  learned  in  those  years  more  lessons  than 
books  could  teach :  I  learned  to  know  men  and  to 
hate  those  that  had  made  me  suffer.  That  lesson 
I  have  never  forgotten. 

"  At  the  end  of  six  years  Colonel  X  died.  As  I 
said,  it  had  been  understood  that  Mr.  Edward  and 
Allan  were  to  share  alike,  and  Allan  never  said  or 
did  anything  to  show  that  he  objected  to  the  ar- 
rangement, nor  did  Harold.  It  was  to  the  amaze- 
ment of  all  that,  when  Colonel  X's  will  was  read, 
it  was  found  to  leave  everything  to  Harold,  '  trust- 
ing,' so  it  ran,  with  what  seemed  a  sort  of  grim 
sarcasm,  '  that  his  generosity  will  lead  him  to  do 
even  more  substantial  justice  to  his  brother  Allan 
and  his  cousin  Edward,  than  I  have  felt  at  liberty 
to  do.  Hitherto  they  have  lived  in  brotherly  affec- 
tion, and  as  a  united  family ;  let  them  continue  so 
to  live.'  Little  the  old  man  knew  of  the  real  feel- 
ings that  existed  in  place  of  the  '  brotherly  affec- 
tion '  he  depended  on  ! 

"  Harold  soon  showed  openly  the  disposition 
that  had  been  evident  to  every  one  except  his 
father.  He  called  the  others  to  him  and  an- 
nounced that  for  the  present  things  must  stand  as 
they  were.  Allan  should  have  the  use  of  the  old 


A  Dark  Deed  237 

home  as  heretofore,  and  a  moderate  allowance  for 
his  personal  expenses ;  the  rest  should  depend  on 
the  future.  As  to  what  that  future  might  be 
Harold  was  vague  enough  in  his  words.  As  for 
Mr.  Edward,  he,  too,  should  have  the  use  of  the 
house,  but  without  an  allowance ;  and  Harold 
pointedly  remarked  that  Edward  had  better  seek 
some  kind  of  employment  as  soon  as  possible. 
There  was  no  chance  to  mistake  the  meaning  of 
his  words  or  his  manner. 

"A  few  days  later,  Harold  met  me  coming 
from  the  house  one  afternoon.  Perhaps  he  had 
forgotten  my  presence  in  the  household  before  ; 
perhaps  he  was  merely  waiting  for  a  suitable 
opportunity  and  excuse  for  what  he  had  in  mind. 
At  any  rate,  when  he  met  me,  he  drew  his  horse 
across  the  path  in  such  a  manner  that  I  could 
not  pass  him. 

"  '  What  the  devil  are  you  doing  here  ? '  he 
demanded  roughly. 

"'Why,  Mr.  Harold,  I  am  Mr.  Edward's  body- 
servant,'  I  answered,  in  surprise. 

"  '  Mr.  Edward's  body-servant  ! '  he  echoed. 
'  Mr.  Edward  is  little  better  than  a  servant  him- 
self, now,  and  he  can  keep  no  hangers-on  about 
my  place.' 

'"I  have  been  his  servant  for  years,  sir,'  I 
answered. 


238  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

" '  There  are  no  servants  here  except  mine,' 
he  retorted,  frowning ;  '  and  you  are  not  one  of 
them.  Be  off  ! ' 

" '  I  don't  understand  you,  sir,'  I  replied,  be- 
wildered. '  Where  should  I  go  ? ' 

"  '  I  don't  care  a  brass  farthing  where  you  go,' 
he  returned.  '  To  the  devil,  if  you  choose  ;  that 
is  not  my  business.  But  it  is  my  business  to 
see  that  the  plantation  is  kept  clear  of  useless 
trash  like  you.  Understand,  I  will  not  have  you 
about  here.' 

" '  But  I  am  Mr.  Edward's  servant,'  I  repeated 
obstinately,  '  and  I  must  see  him  first.' 

"  '  You  will  go  now  !  '  he  said  savagely.  '  Go 
at  once,  or  I  shall  set  the  dogs  on  you  ! ' 

" '  I  must  see  Mr.  Edward  first,  sir,'  I  said 
firmly. 

"  He  uttered  an  oath,  as  he  spurred  his  horse 
toward  me,  and  slashed  at  me  savagely  with  the 
whip  he  carried.  It  was  a  heavy  one,  fit  only 
for  such  a  brute  as  he;  the  sharp  thong  caught 
me  on  the  cheek,  and  cut  deeply  —  you  can  see 
the  scar  even  now,  for  it  never  properly  closed 
up.  The  pain  and  the  shock  made  me  throw 
up  my  hands;  as  I  did  so  he  clubbed  the  whip 
and  struck  ma  with  the  butt.  As  I  reeled,  dazed, 
though  not  quite  stunned,  by  the  blow,  he  leaped 


A  Dark  Deed  239 

from  his  horse  and  seized  me  by  the  collar. 
And  then  he  beat  me  savagely,  as  he  would  never 
have  thought  of  punishing  a  slave ;  in  my  dazed 
condition,  I  could  struggle  but  little  against  him, 
and  he  whipped  me  to  his  heart's  content.  Then, 
when  I  was  exhausted,  he  pulled  me  toward 
where  the  horse  stood,  and  mounted  the  animal, 
still  holding  my  collar.  Writhing  and  half-choked, 
I  was  dragged  down  the  long  lane  to  the  entrance 
gate  of  the  plantation,  and  cast  out  into  the  middle 
of  the  highroad. 

"  '  There  ! '  the  brute  bellowed,  '  if  I  ever  find 
you  on  my  land  again,  I  will  set  the  dogs  on  you ! ' 
and  he  turned  and  rode  back  to  the  house. 

"  Set  the  dogs  on  me  !  If  he  had  attempted 
that,  it  would  have  been  strange  if  I  could  not 
have  turned  them  against  him.  They  knew  and 
loved  me :  him  they  knew  only  through  blows. 
I  had  no  fear  of  the  dogs. 

"  Mr.  Edward  was  somewhere  about  the  coun- 
try, I  knew ;  I  waited  for  him  there,  at  the  gates, 
nursing  my  bruises  and  my  wrath,  and  it  would 
be  hard  to  tell  which  tortured  me  the  worst.  I 
know  that,  the  longer  I  waited,  the  deeper  grew 
my  anger  and  indignation  at  my  treatment.  If 
I  had  committed  a  fault,  or  if  Mr.  Edward  (whom 
I  felt  to  be  my  master,  body  and  soul)  had  beaten 


240  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

me,  even  without  cause,  I  should  not  have  com- 
plained. But  such  treatment,  without  cause, 
from  a  man  who  had  neither  lawful  nor  moral 
authority  over  me,  was  the  last  injury  in  a  long 
story  of  petty  persecution.  I  nursed  my  wrath, 
and  so  gradually  a  desire  for  vengeance  shaped 
itself  into  a  settled  and  determined  plan. 

"  Mr.  Edward  came  at  last.  I  stopped  him, 
and  told  my  tale ;  to  prove  to  him  that  I  did 
not  exaggerate  I  pulled  off  my  shirt  and  showed 
him  the  marks  that  stood  out,  blue  and  purple, 
all  over  my  body.  As  he  listened  and  looked, 
his  face  grew  dark  and  stern. 

" '  Wait  for  me  here,'  he  ordered,  as  he  swung 
himself  on  his  horse  and  rode  rapidly  up  the 
avenue  to  the  house. 

"  In  almost  an  hour,  as  the  twilight  was  coming 
on,  he  returned,  his  face  stern  and  set  as  before. 
Attached  to  his  saddle  were  a  pair  of  well-filled 
bags,  and  he  carried  another  pair  in  his  hands 
and  also  two  guns.  A  second  horse,  ready  sad- 
dled, was  led  by  a  line  tied  to  his  arm.  Such 
horsemen  as  we  were  brought  up  to  be  in  that 
part  of  the  country  needed  no  reins  to  control 
their  mounts.  You  should  know  something  about 
that,  eh? 

" '  It  is  all  over,  Burton,'  he  remarked  quietly, 


A  Dark  Deed  241 

as  he  stopped  beside  me.  '  I  have  had  a  last 
row  with  my  cousin,  and  he  has  turned  me  out 
of  the  house  on  half  an  hour's  notice.  I  suppose 
he  is  within  his  legal  rights,  but  it  seems  hard  ! 
For  a  wonder,  he  did  not  claim  my  horses,  nor 
my  clothes,  nor  arms;  I  ought  to  thank  him  for 
his  forbearance,  I  suppose,'  and  he  laughed 
bitterly.  'Allan  was  good  enough  to  offer  to 
lend  me  money  to  carry  me  along  for  a  little 
while ;  enough,  with  what  little  I  had  on  hand,  to 
last  for  a  couple  of  months.  Who  knows  what 
may  happen  before  then  ?  I  suppose  you  don't 
care  to  stay  here  any  longer  ? ' 

'"Here,  sir?'  I  cried.  'I  could  not,  even  if  I 
were  willing  to  leave  you.  Mr.  Harold  would 
kill  me,  I  believe.' 

"  He  nodded.  '  I  shouldn't  wonder  —  unless 
you  killed  him  first ;  we  just  escaped  having  a 
struggle  as  it  was.  He  was  ready  to  fly  like  a 
madman  at  me,  and  I  was  angry  enough  to  make 
me  welcome  an  attack.  Only  Allan  prevented 
it.  No  doubt  it  is  better  as  it  is,'  he  went  on, 
thoughtfully.  'We  are  fairly  well  matched,  and 
probably  one  of  us  would  have  met  his  death.  .  .  . 
Well,  you  and  I  are  both  out  in  the  cold,  boy ; 
will  you  go  with  me?  I  cannot  promise  you 
wages,  at  present ;  I  have  barely  enough  to  get  us 


242  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

food.  I  am  going  out  into  the  world  to  wrestle 
•with  Fortune,'  he  laughed.  '  If  she  throws  me, 
you  can  feel  quite  at  liberty  to  leave  me  and 
struggle  with  her  on  your  own  account ;  if  I 
succeed,  you  shall  share  the  benefit.  Or,  if  you 
like,  you  may  take  part  of  what  I  have,  and  go 
where  you  please.' 

"  I  took  his  hand  and  kissed  it.  '  Mr.  Edward,' 
I  said  brokenly,  '  all  this  has  come  to  you  through 
me !  If  I  had  thought  of  such  a  thing,  I  would 
have  gone  away  into  the  woods  and  died  there, 
rather  than  bring  trouble  to  you.' 

" '  Tut,  tut,  my  boy,'  he  answered,  smiling. 
'  You  know  very  well  that  the  trouble  was  bound 
to  come  sooner  or  later,  in  any  case.  I  have  seen 
it  brewing  this  long  time.  Your  affair  with  my 
cousin  Harold  has  only  brought  it  to  a  head  a 
little  sooner,  that  is  all.  Put  that  other  idea  out 
of  your  mind.  The  only  question  before  us  now 
is  whether  you  prefer  to  follow  my  fortunes  or 
seek  your  own.  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  your 
chances  were  very  much  better  by  yourself,  for  I 
have  not  the  slightest  idea  what  is  going  to  be- 
come of  me,  or  which  way  I  ought  to  turn.'  He 
continued  in  this  strain  some  time,  trying  to  make 
me  choose  what  would  be  best  for  myself. 

" '  You  bought  me  and  my  life  six  years  ago  ; 


A  Dark  Deed  243 

both  are  still  yours,'  I  exclaimed,  interrupting  him. 
And,  after  a  few  more  words  on  his  part,  in  which 
he  made  light  of  the  claim  he  had  on  my  devotion, 
I  settled  the  question  thus,  — 

"'Up  or  down,  I  go  with  you,'  I  reiterated. 

"  '  Very  good  ;  that  settles  it ! '  And,  giving  me 
a  horse  and  one  of  the  guns  which  was  loaded,  he 
mounted  and  took  the  Williamsburg  road. 

"  I  followed  him.  As  we  rode  away,  I  could 
not  help  casting  a  backward  glance  at  the  house 
we  were  leaving.  In  spite  of  the  persecution  and 
ill  treatment  I  had  received,  it  had  been  my  home 
for  six  years,  —  the  happiest  years  of  my  life  up 
to  that  time,  and  perhaps  in  all  my  life,  —  and  I 
could  not  help  regretting  the  cruel  necessity  that 
drove  us  from  it.  My  master  must  have  had 
even  more  of  the  same  feeling,  but  he  concealed 
it  by  chatting  gayly  as  we  rode,  pretending  not  to 
notice  my  silence  and  gloom.  It  was  nearly  dark, 
and  as  I  looked  back  I  saw  lights  appear  in 
various  rooms,  and  the  cheerfulness  of  the  aspect 
was  not  calculated  to  raise  the  spirits  of  the  two 
people  who  were  being  driven  away  from  it.  One 
light  in  particular  I  recognized  with  mixed  feel- 
ings, for  it  burned  in  the  library,  a  great  room  at 
the  end  of  one  wing  of  the  house,  practically 
isolated  from  the  other  rooms ;  and  I  knew  that 


244  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

Harold  was  sitting  there,  and  would  probably  sit 
there  for  the  rest  of  the  evening.  That  room  had 
been  in  my  mind  for  some  time ;  but  now  my  half- 
formed  plan  was  shattered  by  this  expulsion  of 
Mr.  Edward,  and  his  invitation  to  me  to  accom- 
pany him.  The  two  things  were  incompatible. 
Either  I  must  leave  him,  or  else  abandon  my 
scheme  for  revenge.  For  me  there  could  be  no 
choice.  I  went  with  Mr.  Edward  as  a  matter  of 
course,  yet  it  was  hard  to  give  up  the  thought  of 
the  vengeance  that  had  been  the  only  thing  to 
ease  the  smart  of  my  bruises.  When  we  lost 
sight  of  the  house  the  bruises  began  to  smart 
anew,  and  I  felt  that,  long  after  they  were 
healed,  the  recollection  of  them  would  be  quite 
as  painful  "as  the  things  themselves  had  been. 
Did  you  ever  have  to  give  up  a  satisfactory  plan 
of  revenge  that  lay  absolutely  within  your  grasp  ? 
Then  you  know  what  I  went  through  —  for  a 
time. 

"Some  miles  from  the  plantation  Mr.  Edward 
drew  rein. 

" '  I  want  to  see  a  friend  and  bid  him  good-by, 
before  I  leave,'  he  said.  'Wait  for  me  here  in 
this  clump  of  trees.  I  shall  be  gone  for  more 
than  an  hour ;  perhaps  two  hours.  Here  is  some- 
thing that  may  help  to  comfort  your  loneliness,' 


A  Dark  Deed  245 

and,  laughing,  he  handed  me  a  flask  of  Hollands. 
'  Don't  let  yourself  or  the  horses  be  seen,  if  you 
can  avoid  it.  While  neither  of  us  has  anything 
to  be  ashamed  of  in  this  matter,  I  don't  care  to 
have  to  explain  the  circumstances  to  all  the  world 
—  especially  to-night !  I  should  have  to  apologize 
for  my  present  position,  —  or  lack  of  position,  — 
though  my  conscience  acquits  me  of  any  wrong.' 

"  '  I  think  I  understand  you,  sir,'  I  said.  '  I  will 
keep  out  of  sight,  and  you  need  not  hurry  on  my 
account.' 

"  He  strode  away,  while  I  tethered  the  horses 
back  in  the  grove,  well  out  of  sight  and  hearing 
of  any  passers-by.  Not  that  there  was  very  much 
likelihood  of  their  being  discovered.  The  planta- 
tions in  that  neighborhood  were  large,  the  houses 
far  apart ;  at  that  particular  time  of  night  people 
were  usually  within  doors  —  either  their  own  or 
their  neighbors'  —  and  chance  travellers  were  few. 
Still,  I  neglected  no  precaution  for  secrecy  ;  and, 
as  I  did  so,  a  sudden  idea  shot  through  my  brain 
rapidly  enough  to  stun  me.  It  left  me  weak  and 
trembling.  I  pulled  out  the  flask,  and  took  a 
great  drink  of  the  Hollands.  In  a  few  minutes 
the  fiery  stuff  set  my  heart  beating  like  a  hammer, 
and  my  spirits  rose,  until  my  will  was  set  upon  one 
idea.  I  was  a  boy  of  eighteen,  but  I  felt  myself 


246  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

a  man  in  experience,  and  able  to  do  a  man's  deeds. 
I  was  excited,  yet  I  was  cool  enough  to  make  a 
rapid  calculation,  and  then  I  acted  with  a  coolness 
and  promptness  that  would  have  done  credit  to  a 
man  thrice  my  age. 

"  The  horse  Mr.  Edward  had  given  me  was 
almost  as  good  as  his  own.  We  were  less  than 
half  an  hour's  rapid  ride  from  our  old  plantation. 
I  could  ride  there,  do  my  work,  and  return  long 
before  Mr.  Edward  could  need  me  or  miss  me. 
This  thought  completely  filled  my  mind,  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  others.  To  the  possible  conse- 
quences of  what  I  proposed,  I  gave  not  the  slight- 
est consideration.  If  I  had,  probably  I  should 
have  postponed  my  design  until  a  more  convenient 
time,  though  that  time  would  surely  have  come, 
sooner  or  later. 

"  I  mounted  and  rode  rapidly  back  to  the  plan- 
tation. At  the  entrance  of  the  avenue  I  tied  my 
horse  in  a  clump  of  trees.  My  gun  was  in  my 
hand,  and  I  took  a  pistol  from  the  holster  hang- 
ing at  my  saddle,  for  I  did  not  intend  to  fail.  As 
I  neared  the  house,  some  of  the  dogs  barked.  I 
whistled  to  them  softly,  and  they  came  around 
me,  leaping  with  joy.  I  quieted  them  with  a  word, 
and  ordered  them  back  to  their  kennels.  As  they 
obeyed  me,  I  laughed  silently  :  these  were  the 


A  Dark  Deed  247 

dogs  that  Mr.  Harold  had  threatened  to  set  loose 
on  me  if  I  ever  approached  the  place  again ! 
After  what  he  had  done  to  me,  it  would  have  been 
well  to  take  greater  precautions,  and  rely  on  some- 
thing more  faithful  than  the  dogs." 

Here  Burton  broke  off  abruptly.  His  hands 
clinched  stealthily  on  the  club  he  carried,  and  I 
shivered  lest  the  memory  of  the  old  crime  might 
incite  him  to  do  violence  to  me  before  the  time  he 
had  set.  His  eyes  glared  with  a  sudden  ferocity 
that  made  me  feel  how  fierce  were  the  passions 
that  swayed  him,  how  perverted  and  diseased  his 
mind  had  been.  Yet  I  could  not  altogether  blame, 
so  strongly  had  he  made  me  sympathize  with  the 
misery  and  wrong  of  his  life.  Suddenly  he  re- 
sumed :  — 

"  When  I  crept  softly  up  to  the  open  window 
of  the  library  and  looked  in,  I  saw  Mr.  Harold  sit- 
ting there  alone,  with  just  such  a  savage  frown  on 
his  face  as  he  had  worn  when  he  assaulted  me  a 
few  hours  before.  Perhaps  he  was  thinking  of  that 
—  or  perhaps  of  his  quarrel  with  Mr.  Edward.  But 
I  wasted  little  time  in  such  speculations.  What  I 
had  come  there  to  do  must  be  done  quickly. 

"  I  tapped  softly  on  the  wooden  window-sill. 
He  looked  around,  but  did  not  move.  I  kept  my- 


248  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

self  well  hidden  from  his  sight,  and  tapped  again, 
for  I  wished  him  to  come  nearer.  With  a  mut- 
tered oath  he  arose  and  approached  me,  and  my 
heart  did  not  quicken  its  beat,  nor  did  a  single 
muscle  tremble.  When  he  was  close  to  the  win- 
dow, I  took  a  single  step,  so  that  the  light  from 
the  candles  could  fall  full  upon  me.  The  frown 
disappeared,  and  gave  way  to  a  look  of  terror 
when  his  eyes  fell  upon  the  barrel  of  the  gun 
that  was  thrust  almost  against  his  face.  I  think 
— I  am  sure  —  he  knew  me  just  for  an  instant. 
The  next,  I  pulled  the  trigger.  When  I  saw  the 
thing  that  fell  and  lay  where  he  had  stood,  I  knew 
that  he,  at  least,  would  never  betray  my  secret. 

"  One  glance  was  enough.  It  was  an  ugly  thing 
that  I  gazed  upon,  and  one  that  I  would  not  care 
to  see  repeated,  even  in  your  case.  There  are 
other  and  cleaner  ways,  though  none  quicker  or 
more  certain. 

"  I  crept  away  noiselessly,  and  as  quickly  as 
possible.  Some  of  the  dogs,  attracted  by  the  re- 
port of  the  gun,  ran  up  to  me  again,  but  I  dis- 
missed them  with  a  low  word.  Once  out  of  hearing 
of  the  house,  I  broke  into  a  run  down  the  avenue 
until  I  reached  my  horse.  I  glanced  back  to  look 
for  moving  lights  or  other  signs  of  excitement  in 
the  house,  but  there  were  none,  as  yet.  Still,  I 


A  Dark  Deed  249 

knew  my  act  must  be  discovered  soon,  even  if  the 
shot  did  not  attract  attention. 

"  I  turned  my  horse  the  way  we  had  travelled 
before,  and  flew  back  to  the  grove.  The  other 
horse  was  there,  but  no  sign  of  Mr.  Edward.  I 
had  done  my  work  within  the  expected  time,  and 
had  met  no  one  on  the  road,  either  going  or  com- 
ing ;  whatever  suspicion  might  fall  on  me,  no  wit- 
ness could  testify  against  me.  Yet,  while  I  waited 
for  Mr.  Edward's  return,  I  took  the  precaution  to 
clean  the  barrel  and  pan  of  my  gun  and  reload  it. 
I  stood  forth  ready  to  face  the  world  with  a  clean, 
loaded  gun,  and  nothing  more  than  the  vaguest 
suspicion  possible  against  me. 

"  And  I  had  had  a  glorious  revenge. 

"  After  cleaning  my  gun,  I  walked  to  a  corner 
of  the  wood,  where  I  could  see  any  one  approach- 
ing from  the  lane,  or  along  the  highroad,  and 
waited.  For  nearly  an  hour  I  stayed  there,  drunk 
with  delight  at  the  success  of  my  plan.  Do  not 
imagine  that  I  was  drunk  in  any  other  sense. 
The  one  draught  of  Hollands  (though  a  deep  one) 
that  I  took  when  Mr.  Edward  left  me  was  all 
that  I  had  had,  and  I  could  have  swallowed  twice 
the  quantity  without  feeling  any  ill  effect  from  it. 
A  savage  joy  fired  my  brain  as  no  spirits  could 
have  done. 


250  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  But  as  the  end  of  the  hour  approached,  some- 
thing occurred  that  sobered  me  completely,  and 
caused  me  to  realize,  as  I  had  not  realized  before, 
that,  despite  the  lack  of  witnesses,  there  was  still 
danger  connected  with  the  affair.  Before  God, 
I  swear  that  never,  even  to  the  last  moment,  did 
it  enter  my  head  that  the  matter  could  cause 
danger,  or  even  trouble,  to  Mr.  Edward.  What 
I  had  done  was  my  own  deed,  which  I  was  ready 
to  stand  responsible  for,  if  necessary ;  and  I  was 
not  old  enough  or  wise  enough  to  see  how  it  was 
likely  to  affect  him.  If  I  had  supposed  such  a 
case,  I  would  have  foregone  my  revenge  and 
blown  my  own  brains  out  rather  than  draw  a 
breath  of  suspicion  against  him.  I  did  not  know 
what  I  had  done  to  ruin  him  until  it  was  too  late 
to  remedy  it,  except  in  the  one  way  that  I  was 
resolved  not  to  take  unless  in  the  last  extremity. 

"The  event  that  I  speak  of  was  the  thud  of 
horses'  hoofs  on  the  road.  I  heard  them  coming 
from  afar,  and,  as  they  drew  nearer,  I  could  dis- 
tinguish the  tread  of  four  horses.  I  drew  back 
into  the  deeper  shadow,  and  as  they  passed  I 
heard  one  of  the  riders  say,  '  He  has  not  more 
than  an  hour's  start  of  us ! ' 

"  I  could  not  hear  the  reply  as  they  tore  past 
me.  But  I  knew,  instantly,  that  they  were  in  pur- 


A  Dark  Deed  251 

suit  of  the  murderer,  and  I  laughed  to  myself  to 
think  how  easily  he  had  fooled  them.  I  knew 
they  would  go  on  at  breakneck  speed  until  they 
reached  the  river  and  the  ferry.  Doubtless  an- 
other party  had  set  out  in  the  other  direction,  for 
there  was  no  escape  from  our  narrow  peninsula 
except  by  water,  unless  one  travelled  inland.  That 
would  be  to  ride  straight  into  the  more  populous 
part  of  the  country,  where  a  greater  number  of 
pursuers  could  be  aroused ;  no  doubt  there  were 
others  already  in  that  direction  also.  Naturally, 
they  would  expect  the  murderer  to  make  for  one 
of  the  ferries  and  escape  into  a  part  of  the  coun- 
try where  he  was  less  known. 

"I  let  them  go  by,  and  laughed.  I  drew  back 
into  the  grove  and  waited  again ;  it  was  quite 
another  hour  before  Mr.  Edward  called  for  me. 
Everything  was  ready ;  in  fact,  I  had  been  lead- 
ing the  horses  up  and  down  the  lane  for  half  an 
hour  before.  When  we  mounted  and  rode  away, 
you  may  be  sure  I  did  not  speak  of  the  furious 
riders  who  had  passed  so  lately,  though  our  course 
lay  right  in  their  track.  I  knew  we  must  meet 
them,  sooner  or  later,  either  at  the  ferry  or  on 
their  way  back,  but  I  was  sure  they  must  be  igno- 
rant of  my  connection  with  the  affair,  and  was 
prepared  to  face  them  boldly. 


252  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  We  had  been  riding  along  leisurely  for  some 
five  hours ;  the  road  now  led  into  a  thick  wood. 
As  we  drew  near  it,  four  dim  figures  stepped  out 
of  its  shadow,  and  blocked  the  way.  There  was 
enough  light  from  the  stars  to  glance  and  reflect 
from  the  muskets  that  two  of  them  displayed ; 
how  the  others  were  armed  we  could  not  tell. 

"  '  Halt ! '  commanded  a  voice. 

"  We  halted,  not  ten  yards  from  them. 

" '  Dismount  and  surrender ! '  continued  the 
voice. 

"  Mr.  Edward  turned  to  me.  I  had  already 
drawn  a  pistol,  and  was  prepared  to  fight.  '  High- 
waymen !  Take  the  man  on  your  right !  '  he  whis- 
pered, as  he  drew  his  pistol  and  started  his  horse 
at  a  walk  toward  our  assailants. 

"'Halt  where  you  are,  I  say,  or  we  fire ! '  chal- 
lenged the  menacing  voice,  not  five  yards  away 
now. 

"He  did  not  obey.  The  flash  of  his  pistol  was 
his  only  answer,  followed  an  instant  later  by  mine. 
I  know  he  hurt  his  man,  for  I  heard  him  cry  out ; 
what  became  of  mine,  I  could  not  see.  But  I  saw 
Mr.  Edward,  the  moment  after  he  fired,  put  spurs 
to  his  horse  and  ride  over  the  second  man  who 
opposed  him.  I  followed  as  I  could,  though,  not 
wearing  spurs,  I  was  slower.  But  his  swift  move- 


A  Dark  Deed  253 

ment  had  cleared  the  way  for  me,  and  I  followed 
safely.  There  was  a  flash  of  firearms  as  we  passed, 
but,  wherever  the  bullets  lodged,  it  was  not  in 
their  intended  marks. 

"  Now,  I  cannot  imagine  what  object  those  men 
could  have  had  in  dismounting.  On  their  horses, 
they  could  have  effectually  blocked  the  way,  for 
the  road  was  narrow,  and  we  could  not  have 
ridden  over  them  easily.  We  should  have  been 
forced  into  a  hand-to-hand  fight,  with  the  odds 
two  to  one  against  us.  We  realized  —  and  so  did 
they  —  the  clumsiness  of  their  arrangements,  when 
we  came  across  their  horses  tethered  several  hun- 
dred yards  beyond.  Mr.  Edward  had  noticed 
them,  but  was  about  to  ride  by,  when  I  cried, 
'Wait!' 

"  I  saw  the  immense  advantage  we  might  gain. 
I  slipped  quickly  to  the  ground  and  loosed  the 
animals.  Two  I  held  myself,  and  the  bridles  of 
the  other  two  I  handed  to  Mr.  Edward.  The 
shouts  of  our  pursuers  rang  in  our  ears,  for  they 
could  hear  that  we  had  stopped,  and  must  have 
guessed  the  reason.  They  were  less  than  fifty 
yards  away  when  I  remounted.  Several  pistols 
were  discharged  in  our  direction,  but  at  such  a 
distance,  and  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  ren- 
dered deeper  by  the  shadow  of  the  trees,  it  would 


254  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

have  been  a  miracle  if  we  had  been  hit.  As  we 
moved  away,  Mr.  Edward  broke  into  a  laugh,  and 
shouted  back  to  them,  '  Good-night  to  you,  gentle- 
men, and  better  luck  and  more  foresight  next  time ! 

" '  You  seconded  me  well,  Burton,'  he  said,  as 
we  left  our  pursuers  in  the  distance ;  '  better  than 
most  boys  of  your  age  would  have  done.  Those 
highwaymen  must  have  been  new  to  the  profes- 
sion, else  they  would  never  have  left  their  horses 
so  far  away,  and  without  a  guard.' 

" '  Belike  they  expected  little  resistance,'  I  an- 
swered. 

"  '  Perhaps.  At  any  rate,  we  seem  to  have  the 
advantage  in  arms  as  well  as  in  strategy.' 

"  '  They  were  foolish,'  I  remarked.  '  What  shall 
we  do  with  the  horses  ? ' 

" '  Turn  them  loose  and  start  them  away  at  the 
first  cross-road  we  come  to.  We  don't  want  to 
steal  them,  even  from  thieves.' 

"  '  And  we  might  be  taken  for  thieves  ourselves, 
if  any  one  should  meet  us.' 

"  '  Yes,  it  is  an  unusual  thing  at  this  time  of  night 
to  be  leading  so  many  horses  with  saddles.' 

"  We  turned  them  loose  at  the  first  cross-road. 
A  cut  on  the  flank  started  them  off,  one  after  an- 
other, and  we  were  reasonably  sure  that  they 
would  travel  a  goodly  distance  before  being  cap- 
tured by  any  one." 


XV 

THE   TALE   OF    A    HUNTING 

MY  interest  in  Burton's  story  was  such  that  I 
had  forgotten  my  peculiar  predicament.  As  he 
stopped  to  wet  his  dry  lips  with  the  water  that 
stood  on  my  table,  I  exclaimed :  — 

"  Go  on  !  " 

Burton  responded  to  my  eagerness  with  a  cun- 
ning glance  from  his  eyes.  "  So  anxious  ? "  he 
seemed  to  say.  But  he  resumed  :  — 

"  It  was  broad  daylight  when  we  reached  the 
river. 

"  '  Have  they  caught  him  yet  ? '  asked  the  ferry- 
man when  he  had  been  brought  from  his  cabin. 

"  '  Caught  whom  ? '  asked  Mr.  Edward. 

"  'The  murderer.' 

"'The  murderer?     I  have  heard  of  no  murder.' 

"  '  And  you  come  from  up  the  country  ?  That 
is  strange ! '  He  looked  at  us  suspiciously.  '  Why, 
the  whole  peninsula  is  alive  with  it  already,  and  it 
only  happened  last  night.  Surely  you  must  have 
met  some  of  those  who  were  hunting  him  ? ' 

255 


256  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  I  trembled  lest  Mr.  Edward  should  connect 
this  tale  with  the  men  who  had  attempted  to  stop 
us  last  night,  but  he  was  so  sure  they  were  high- 
waymen that  the  idea  never  came  to  him. 

" '  Nobody  has  said  a  word  to  me  about  it,'  he 
said.  '  But  I  have  not  spoken  to  a  stranger  since 
I  set  out  last  evening.  What  is  the  story  ? ' 

" '  One  of  the  great  planters  near  Charlestown 
was  murdered  last  night  by  his  cousin.  It  seems 
the  fellow  owed  everything  to  his  relatives.  I  for- 
get his  name,  though  some  men  who  were  here 
searching  for  him  told  me  last  night.  He  will  get 
short  shrift  if  he  is  caught ;  they  will  kill  him  at 
sight.  I  would  like  to  get  a  chance  to  shoot  him 
down  where  he  stood.  It  was  a  cold-blooded  kill- 
ing. Shooting  is  too  good  for  him ;  he  ought  to 
be  burned  alive  ! ' 

" '  Who  is  he  ? '  asked  Mr.  Edward.  '  I  may 
know  him,  or  at  least  of  him,  for  I  know  most  peo- 
ple about  there.' 

" '  I  cannot  remember  his  name,'  said  the  ferry- 
man. '  But  if  you  know  of  a  family  of  two  broth- 
ers and  a  cousin  who  were  brought  up  together, 
you  may  guess.' 

"  Mr.  Edward  looked  troubled,  as  well  he  might. 
'  I  do  know  of  one  such  family,'  he  said.  '  But  I 
know  they  are  all  still  alive.' 


The  Tale  of  a  Hunting  257 

"  I  was  afraid  of  what  might  be  said  next,  and 
took  the  liberty  of  thrusting  myself  into  the  con- 
versation unbidden. 

"  '  Has  the  news  been  sent  across  the  river  ? '  I 
asked. 

"  '  Not  yet.  It  is  not  likely  the  man  could  have 
crossed  anywhere  about  here  without  my  knowing 
it,  and  he  may  have  taken  some  other  road ;  they 
could  not  tell  which  way  he  had  gone.  I  am  going 
to  spread  the  story  when  I  cross.  The  whole  coun- 
try on  this  side  of  the  river  is  up  and  searching,  and 
the  scoundrel  can  hardly  miss  falling  into  the  hands 
of  some  of  them.  And  when  he  does — '  he  stopped 
to  laugh.  'When  he  does,  there  won't  be  much 
time  for  prayers  ! ' 

" '  They  will  have  to  give  him  a  trial  at  least,' 
exclaimed  Mr.  Edward. 

" '  He  has  had  all  the  trial  he  will  ever  get,'  said 
the  ferryman,  sullenly.  '  You  seem  to  have  a  good 
deal  of  sympathy  for  a  cowardly  murderer!  I 
heard  the  story,  though  I  don't  remember  the 
names.  The  two  men  had  a  quarrel,  and  the  dead 
man  turned  the  other  out  of  the  house,  as  he  had 
a  right  to  do,  since  it  was  his.  Then  the  other 
waited  until  nightfall,  stole  back  secretly,  and  blew 
his  cousin's  brains  out.' 

"  I  saw  Mr.  Edward  turn  very  pale  and  tremble 


258  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

slightly.  I  knew  he  was  beginning  to  realize  how 
exactly  the  circumstances  fitted  his  own  case,  as  I 
did  also ;  and  it  was  also  coming  home  to  me  that 
he,  and  not  I,  was  the  one  likely  to  be  suspected. 
His  quarrel  had  been  well  known ;  the  whole 
household  knew  of  it,  and  knew  that  he  had  been 
turned  out  of  the  house  in  consequence  of  it.  My 
own  cause  of  hatred  was  known  only  to  Mr.  Ed- 
ward and  the  dead  man ;  there  was  nothing  to 
connect  me  with  the  affair,  and  everything  com- 
bined to  point  him  out  as  the  doer  of  the  deed. 
The  circumstances,  the  testimony  of  the  house- 
hold, must  all  count  against  him,  —  against  the 
man  to  whom  I  owed  my  life  and  all  the  happi- 
ness and  comfort  that  I  had  ever  known.  Mr. 
Edward's  trembling  could  have  been  nothing  to 
mine,  for  I  was  afraid  for  him.  I  felt  incapable 
of  keeping  a  quaver  out  of  my  voice,  yet  I  knew 
that  I  must  speak.  But  for  once  I  had  reason  to 
bless  the  infirmity  that  has  been  the  curse  of  my 
life,  for,  when  I  found  my  voice,  it  was  as  even 
and  expressionless  as  ever. 

"  '  How  do  they  know  the  cousin  did  it  ? '  I 
asked ;  and  both  of  us  hung  breathless  on  the 
answer. 

"'They  know  it  because  the  dogs  made  no 
noise.  If  a  stranger  had  approached,  they  would 


The  Tale  of  a  Hunting  259 

have  run  out  and  barked.  The  fact  that  they 
were  quiet  proves  that  it  was  some  one  they  knew, 
and  there  was  only  one  man  whom  they  knew  who 
had  cause  of  enmity  against  the  dead  man.' 

"  I  trembled  still  more.  If  Mr.  Edward  should 
suspect  me !  I  cared  little  what  the  rest  of  the 
world  might  think  of  me,  but  to  lose  his  confi- 
dence and  regard  would  have  made  my  life  worth- 
less. I  saw  that  the  story,  knowing  what  he 
knew,  must  point  more  to  me  than  to  him.  Yet, 
strangely  enough,  to  the  last  day  of  his  life,  such 
a  supposition  never  entered  his  mind.  He  saw 
only  the  way  the  circumstances  bore  against 
himself;  he  believed  me  as  incapable  of  such  a 
thing  as  he  knew  himself  to  be. 

" '  What  are  the  names  of  the  people  you 
know  ? '  asked  the  ferryman,  curiously.  '  I  am 
sure  I  should  know  the  name  if  I  heard  it  again.' 

"  Mr.  Edward  hesitated.  The  ferryman  looked 
at  him  with  growing  suspicion  in  his  face. 

"  '  Well,  what  were  the  names  ? ' 

" '  The  family  name  was  X,'  answered  Mr. 
Edward,  at  length.  'The  name  of  the  cousin  was 
Edward  C.' 

"  The  ferryman  leaped  up  from  the  stump 
where  he  sat.  '  That's  the  name  ! '  he  cried 
joyfully. 


260  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

" '  What  is  the  name  ? '  demanded  Mr.  Edward, 
sternly. 

" '  Edward  C. !     That's  the  murderer's  name ! ' 

"  '  A  lie  ! '  cried  Mr.  Edward,  furiously,  flushing 
a  deep  red.  '  Edward  C.  is  no  murderer !  You 
have  made  a  mistake  in  the  name.  Don't  ever 
dare  to  repeat  such  a  lie  again,  or  you  will  have 
to  answer  to  me  for  it !  ' 

"'To  you?  What  business  is  it  of  yours, 
anyway  ? ' 

"  '  It  is  my  business,  because  — '  I  held  up  my 
hand  for  him  to  keep  silence,  but  he  never  heeded 
it,  and  went  on  unhesitatingly  —  '  because  /  am 
Edward  C. ! ' 

"  The  ferryman's  eyes  opened  wide  in  astonish- 
ment, but  he  looked  Mr.  Edward  over  from  head 
to  foot,  while  an  expression  of  recognition  grew 
on  his  face. 

" '  Like  the  description  ! '  he  muttered.  '  What 
a  fool  I  was  ! '  He  sprang  up,  holding  his  heavy 
push-pole  in  his  hand,  and  raised  it  over  his  head. 
'  Here's  for  you,  murderer ! ' 

"  It  would  have  fallen  in  another  moment.  But, 
before  his  blow  could  fall,  I  had  drawn  my  pistol 
and  struck  him  heavily  on  the  side  of  the  head 
with  it.  I  could  have  shot  him  quite  as  easily, 
but  I  had  enough  blood  on  my  hands.  The  man 
dropped  senseless. 


The  Tale  of  a  Hunting  261 

'"Good  God,  you  have  killed  him!'  cried  Mr. 
Edward,  springing  to  the  man's  side. 

"  '  He  is  only  stunned,1  I  said.  '  I  did  not  want 
to  kill  him,  though  he  would  have  killed  you  in 
another  minute,  if  I  had  not  struck.  Let  us 
secure  him  before  he  comes  to.' 

"  '  What  for  ? '  he  asked,  in  surprise. 

" '  So  that  he  cannot  give  the  alarm  until  we 
are  well  out  of  reach,'  I  answered. 

"  '  What  alarm  ? '  demanded  Mr.  Edward, 
curiously. 

" '  Did  you  not  understand  what  he  said  ? '  I 
cried.  '  You  are  accused  of  murder ! ' 

"  '  I  believe  the  man  was  mistaken,'  he  said 
quietly.  'But,  even  if  it  were  so,  why  should  I 
fly?  You  and  I  both  know  it  is  false.  I  shall 
return  and  meet  the  charge,  if  there  really  is  one.' 

"  '  You  shall  not ! '  I  shouted.  '  Did  you  not 
hear  him  say  that  they  would  shoot  you  on  sight  ? 
You  would  never  live  to  be  tried,  and  your  name 
would  be  branded  with  the  crime  forever ! ' 

"  He  hesitated.  '  But  I  cannot  fly  from  such  a 
charge  without  disgracing  myself.' 

'"It  is  no  disgrace  to  fly  from  a  gang  of 
murderers,'  I  replied.  '  If  you  escape  now,  you 
can  easily  return  after  the  first  excitement  is  worn 
off,  and  stand  a  trial,  if  you  then  need  one  to 


262  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

vindicate  you.  Probably  the  real  murderer  will 
be  discovered  before  then ;  but  now  a  return 
means  certain  death.' 

"  He  sat  down  and  pondered,  paying  no  heed 
to  the  ferryman,  whom  I  was  securing. 

"  '  There  is  sense  in  what  you  say/  he  said.  '  If 
this  thing  is  true,  and  I  am  accused  of  it,  they 
would  shoot  me  as  that  man  said.  I  can  quite 
sympathize  with  their  state  of  mind,'  with  a 
melancholy  smile,  'even  though  their  anger  is 
directed  against  myself.  I  can  return  (that  is, 
provided  I  succeed  in  concealing  myself)  in  a  few 
weeks  or  months,  when  the  wrath  of  the  people  has 
cooled  a  little.  But  where  could  I  hide,  and  what 
would  become  of  you  ?  —  Since  we  were  together, 
you  may  be  implicated  too,'  he  said,  with  a 
sudden  afterthought.  It  was  perilously  near  the 
real  case,  if  only  he  had  reversed  our  positions ; 
so  near  that  it  startled  me. 

"  So  I  persuaded  him  to  help  me  carry  the  ferry- 
man's body  to  a  little  ravine,  where  we  laid  him 
on  a  bed  of  dead  leaves.  We  did  not  gag  him, 
and  the  first  traveller  that  passed  would  answer  to 
the  shout  that  he  would  be  certain  to  give. 

"Then  I  occupied  myself  in  getting  Mr.  Ed- 
ward away  from  the  scene,  knowing  that,  if  I 
could  once  commit  him  to  the  course  I  had  re- 


The  Tale  of  a  Hunting  263 

solved  upon,  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to 
retreat  later. 

"  I  had  noticed  a  canoe  tied  to  a  tree  a  few 
yards  above  the  ferry-boat,  and  it  had  given  me 
an  idea.  I  brought  this  down,  and  fastened  it  to 
the  scow,  and  then  led  our  horses  aboard. 

"  'We  must  be  our  own  ferryman,  Mr.  Edward,' 
I  said.  He  gave  an  apathetic  smile,  and  took  up 
a  pole.  The  river  was  only  a  few  hundred  yards 
wide,  and  neither  deep  nor  rapid,  so  that  we  had 
no  difficulty  in  crossing. 

'"I  am  sorry,  Mr.  Edward,  but  we  must  part 
with  our  horses,'  I  said,  when  we  had  crossed. 

"  '  Why  so  ? '  he  demanded. 

"  '  Because  our  best  plan  is  to  escape  by  water. 
On  land  we  could  easily  be  tracked ;  the  river 
leaves  no  mark.  Besides,  they  will  look  for  us 
first  on  the  road,  knowing  that  we  had  horses ; 
and,  while  they  are  searching  there,  we  shall  be 
travelling  farther  away  in  another  direction.' 

" '  I  see  your  plan,'  he  replied,  with  a  little 
brighter  expression.  '  Your  head  is  more  capable 
than  mine,  just  now.  Take  your  own  way ;  it  can 
matter  little  if  it  fails  ! ' 

"  His  words  lifted  a  weight  from  my  mind. 
Despondent  as  he  was,  he  was  willing  to  go.  If 
we  could  once  get  a  fair  start,  I  felt  confident  of 


264  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

throwing  our  pursuers  off  the  trail ;  and,  once 
started,  he  must  soon  see  that  a  return  would  be 
worse  than  immediate  surrender  would  have  been. 
He  could  not  reason  all  this  out  for  himself ;  the 
news  he  had  just  heard  seemed  to  have  stunned 
him  so  that  he  could  not  get  his  thoughts  in  order ; 
but  my  brain  seemed  to  work  more  rapidly  and 
accurately  than  usual  under  this  excitement.  The 
danger  from  our  pursuers,  the  chance  that  Mr. 
Edward  might  suddenly  seize  the  main  point  of 
the  situation  and  upset  all  my  plans,  were  a  won- 
derful stimulus  to  my  invention. 

"  Everything  worked  for  my  main  plan,  which 
was  to  prevent  a  separation  between  us ;  I  did  not 
see  then  that  my  companionship  was  a  far  differ- 
ent thing  for  him  from  what  his  was  for  me.  At 
the  time,  my  one  object  was  to  keep  him  from  sus- 
pecting me,  and  to  keep  myself  with  him.  I 
thought  that  surely  anything  that  was  good  for 
one  of  us  must  be  good  for  both.  Perhaps,  if  I 
had  realized  all  that  our  flight  meant,  and  would 
mean  to  him  in  the  days  to  come,  I  should  have 
hesitated  about  dragging  him  away,  and  should 
even  have  sacrificed  myself  so  far  as  to  take  the 
responsibility  of  my  deeds  on  myself.  But,  being 
young,  I  did  not  see  it  all  then. 

"We  reached  the  other  side.    From  the  horses  I 


The  Tale  of  a  Hunting  265 

removed  the  saddles  and  bridles  and  placed  them 
in  the  canoe.  A  sharp  cut  of  the  whip  started  the 
animals  off  at  full  speed. 

"  I  shoved  the  ferry-boat  from  the  shore,  and 
pushed  the  canoe  out  into  the  current ;  then  I 
cast  the  scow  loose.  I  intended  to  let  it  drift ;  the 
loss  of  it  would  help  to  delay  our  pursuers,  and 
they  might  well  suppose  that  we  had  cast  it  loose 
for  that  very  purpose,  and  not  suspect  that  we  had 
gone  down  the  river.  The  plan  was  a  good  enough 
one ;  but  I  had  forgotten  that,  finding  it  gone,  the 
ferryman  would  immediately  seek  for  his  canoe, 
and  its  loss  would  arouse  suspicion  at  once.  Well, 
I  was  young  and  foolish,  and  had  not  yet  learned 
to  calculate  as  far  ahead  as  I  have  been  obliged  to 
do  since.  Still,  for  a  boy,  it  was  not  so  bad. 
Eh? 

"  I  picked  up  a  paddle ;  Mr.  Edward  did  the 
same,  and  in  five  minutes  more  we  were  out  of 
sight  of  the  ferry  landing,  and  I  began  to  breathe 
more  freely.  No  one  had  appeared ;  my  only 
fear  had  been  that  some  chance  traveller  might 
arrive  while  we  were  still  in  sight.  Once  clear  of 
the  landing,  we  were  safe  for  some  days,  I  thought. 

"  As  soon  as  the  regular  motion  of  the  paddles 
had  calmed  his  excitement,  Mr.  Edward  began 
to  brood  on  the  situation  and  to  reproach  himself 


266  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

for  having  involved  me  in  his  troubles !  For- 
tunately my  face  did  not  betray  the  emotion  his 
kind  words  aroused  in  me.  I  protested  truly 
enough  that  I  was  his  for  life  or  death,  that 
nothing  could  separate  me  from  him. 

"He  laid  down  his  paddle,  and  turned  himself 
around  to  face  me. 

" '  You  are  more  than  a  servant,  Burton/  he 
said  warmly.  '  You  are  the  sort  of  friend  one 
hopes  for,  but  seldom  finds.  And  I  know  I 
shall  never  have  another ;  one  such  friend  in  a 
lifetime  is  as  much  as  any  man  has  a  right  to 
expect.'  He  stretched  out  his  hand  to  me  ;  for 
the  first  time,  I  felt  a  thrill  of  repentance  and 
shame  run  through  me.  I  had  not  thought,  at 
first,  of  the  chance  of  involving  him  in  my  crime. 
With  a  man's  reasoning,  I  had  seen  that  there 
could  not  be  more  than  a  bare  suspicion  against 
me,  at  the  most;  but,  like  a  boy,  I  had  not 
worked  out  my  calculation  to  the  farthest  possi- 
ble results :  I  had  not  foreseen  how  the  conse- 
quences of  my  act  might  affect  him.  I  did  not 
want  to  take  the  hand  so  offered,  yet  I  dared 
not  refuse  it.  Indeed,  my  momentary  hesitation 
caused  him  some  surprise. 

"  '  Why  do  you  hesitate  ? '  he  asked. 

"  *  You  do  me  too  great  an  honor,'  I  replied, 


The  Tale  of  a  Hunting  267 

hardly  able  to  meet  his  eyes.     But  he  only  gave 
my  hand  a  warmer  pressure  before  releasing  it. 

"We  paddled  swiftly  nearly  the  whole  day, 
only  stopping  once  to  gather  some  berries,  for 
we  had  but  a  small  supply  of  food  with  us,  and 
we  dared  not,  as  yet,  stop  at  any  of  the  planta- 
tions to  buy  anything.  In  fact,  in  approaching 
a  plantation,  we  were  careful  to  cross  to  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  river,  and  kept  as  much  as  possi- 
ble in  the  shadow  of  the  overhanging  trees.  We 
saw  nothing  to  indicate  that  we  had  been  watched, 
or  even  seen ;  and  when,  about  the  middle  of 
the  afternoon,  our  arms  began  to  grow  weary,  we 
pushed  the  canoe  into  a  little,  well-sheltered  nook, 
and  lay  down  on  the  mossy  bank  to  rest.  We  had 
had  no  rest  the  night  before,  and  it  was  not 
surprising  that  before  long  we  were  both  sound 
asleep. 

"  We  slept  for  hours,  until  long  after  nightfall, 
and  I  was  the  first  to  wake.  Some  suspicious 
noise  had  roused  me  —  far  away  I  heard  the 
baying  of  hounds. 

"  It  was  not  the  season  for  hunting.  For  a  few 
moments  the  sound  died  away,  and  then  it  came 
again ;  and  clear  above  the  sharper  cries  of  the 
foxhounds  my  ears  distinguished  a  deeper  bay, 
like  the  tolling  of  a  great  bell  afar  off.  I  knew 


268  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

the  sound  well.  It  was  the  bay  of  the  blood- 
hound, and  I  knew  what  the  hunters  sought. 
Their  game  was  man ! 

"  I  could  hear  them,  now,  coming  down  on 
both  sides  of  the  river.  Our  pursuers  were 
shrewder  than  I  had  expected.  They  must  have 
returned  to  the  ferry,  and  the  ferryman  had  made 
his  presence  known  to  them.  In  my  heart  I 
cursed  the  foolish  feeling  of  humanity  that  had 
caused  me  to  leave  him  there  ungagged.  Doubt- 
less, while  some  of  them  crossed  the  river  and 
followed  the  road,  others  had  noted  the  chance 
of  our  escape  by  water,  and  had  roused  the  country 
on  both  banks  of  the  river.  Perhaps  the  dogs 
had  caught  our  scent  where  we  had  hugged  the 
shore  and  were  following  it  down  the  stream. 

"  I  knew  how  far  a  noise  would  travel  in  the 
stillness  of  the  night,  and  especially  over  water, 
but  I  felt  sure  they  must  be  within  a  mile  of  us. 
The  dogs  must  be  leashed,  I  knew,  and  their  rate 
of  travel  must  be  limited  by  the  ability  of  the  men 
to  follow  them  through  the  bushes  and  the  swamp 
that  lined  a  great  part  of  the  river  bank.  But 
even  then,  another  half-hour  or  so  must  bring 
them  to  the  spot  where  we  lay,  and  I  shuddered 
to  think  of  what  would  have  come  to  us  if  I  had 
not  wakened  when  I  did. 


The  Tale  of  a  Hunting  269 

"  I  grasped  Mr.  Edward,  who  still  slept  soundly, 
and  shook  him  roughly. 

"  '  Wake  ! '  I  cried.  '  We  must  leave  here 
quickly.' 

" '  What  is  the  matter  ? '  he  demanded  hurriedly. 

"  '  Listen  ! ' 

"  In  a  moment  the  sounds  came  again,  travelling 
down  the  stream  with  startling  clearness.  They 
were  approaching  fast. 

"  '  They  are  hunting  us ! '  I  whispered.  '  And 
they  are  on  both  sides  of  the  river.' 

"  I  could  not  see  his  face,  but  I  heard  him 
draw  his  breath  in  a  sort  of  sob.  I  knew  how 
he  must  feel,  conscious  of  his  own  innocence,  and 
yet  being  hunted  with  dogs,  like  a  savage  Indian 
raider. 

"  We  crept  into  the  canoe,  and  pushed  off  into 
the  darkness.  Refreshed  and  strengthened  by  our 
sleep,  we  made  the  canoe  travel  fast.  On  the  face 
of  the  water  the  darkness  was  intense,  but  the  faint 
light  of  a  few  stars,  showing  the  dim  outlines  of 
the  tree-tops  on  either  side,  enabled  us  to  keep  in 
the  middle  of  the  stream. 

"  '  They  will  lose  our  scent  where  we  slept,'  I 
said,  to  comfort  him. 

" '  For  my  own  part,  I  should  care  little  if  they 
found  us,'  he  replied  sullenly.  '  If  I  am  to  be 


2/O  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

hunted  like  this  all  my  life,  I  do  not  care  how  soon 
the  chase  is  ended.' 

" '  Indeed,  sir,  you  know  it  can  be  but  for  a  little 
while,'  I  answered  eagerly,  though  deep  in  my 
heart  there  lay  the  certainty  that  he  would  never 
go  back  to  the  old  place. 

"'A  little  while  is  too  long,'  he  returned  impa- 
tiently. '  What  can  those  people  be  thinking  of  ? 
They  should  know  me  better  than  to  believe  me 
capable  of  such  a  dastard  act.  What  have  I  ever 
done  to  make  them  think  it  possible  ?  Was  there 
no  one  but  me  who  had  cause  of  quarrel  with 
Harold?  In  all  his  life  he  never  had  a  friend, 
that  I  know  of,  and  he  has  made  enemies  innu- 
merable. Why,  even  you  had  more  cause  to  mur- 
der him  than  I  had ;  in  fact,  after  the  way  he 
treated  you,  it  would  not  have  been  so  very 
strange  if  you  had  taken  some  sort  of  revenge. 
I  almost  believe  I  should  have  done  it  myself,  had 
I  been  in  your  place.' 

"  I  shook  as  though  with  an  ague.  For  a  mo- 
ment I  was  on  the  point  of  confessing  all ;  then 
more  sober  reflection  came  to  my  aid.  In  spite 
of  his  hasty  words,  I  knew  he  could  never  have 
revenged  himself  in  such  a  way ;  his  words  did 
not  agree  with  his  character,  and,  if  I  spoke,  I 
knew  he  would  turn  from  me  with  loathing,  though 


The  Tale  of  a  Hunting  271 

I  felt  sure  he  would  not  betray  me.  I  could  en- 
dure danger  and  suffering  and  death  if  need  be, 
but  I  could  not  bear  to  think  of  being  separated 
from  him.  All  gratitude  for  what  I  owed  him  was 
overwhelmed  by  the  fear  of  this. 

" '  I  hope,  sir,'  I  began  to  stammer,  '  I  hope  you 
—  do  not  —  do  not  —  think  — '  For  my  life  I 
could  not  keep  a  quaver  out  of  my  voice. 

" '  No,  of  course  I  do  not  think  you  did  it,'  he 
interrupted.  '  I  did  not  mean  to  imply  that.  In- 
deed, I  know  you  could  not  possibly  have  done  it, 
even  had  you  wished,  for  he  was  alive  when  I  left 
him,  and  we  have  been  together  ever  since.'  (He 
forgot  the  hours  he  had  left  me  alone  in  the 
grove  with  the  horses,  nor  did  he  ever  remember 
them.)  '  No,  I  did  not  mean  that,  only  that  you 
had  more  cause  than  I  to  harm  him,  and  yet  you 
are  not  suspected.  If  you  are  not,  why  should  I 
be,  only  that  I  quarrelled  with  him  at  the  last? 
But  we  have  quarrelled  many  times  before,  and 
so  have  other  men ;  and  nothing  ever  came  of  it, 
and  no  one  ever  thought  of  such  an  outcome.  He 
was  always  quarrelling  and  making  enemies.  Why 
must  /  have  been  the  one  to  be  singled  out  for  sus- 
picion—  and  at  just  such  a  time,  too,  when  I  was 
on  the  point  of  leaving  the  house  forever  ?  How 
many  others  there  must  have  been !  Though  he 


272  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darks 

was  my  cousin,  almost  my  brother,  I  have  many 
a  time  been  ashamed  to  own  the  relationship,  on 
account  of  the  way  he  treated  other  people.  Yet 
interference  or  remonstrance  only  made  matters 
worse.  You  know  as  well  as  I  do  —  none  better, 
since  you  have  suffered  from  it  so  often !  Oh, 
I  knew  how  he  treated  you,  and  the  only  thing 
that  kept  me  from  interfering  was  the  certainty 
that  such  action  would  only  make  it  worse  for 
you  in  the  end,  even  while  my  uncle  lived.  You 
know  what  hold  Harold  had  on  his  mind,  and 
what  implicit  confidence  the  old  man  placed  in 
him.  He  was  terribly  mistaken,  of  course ;  but 
was  it  for  me  —  a  mere  dependent  —  to  try  to  set 
his  mind  against  his  own  eldest  son  ?  At  the  very 
worst,  I  owed  it  to  him  to  let  him  die  in  peace, 
thinking  that  we  all  lived  in  friendship,  regardless 
of  what  might  come  afterward.  Allan  made  it 
plain  that  he  felt  the  same  way,  though  we  never 
exchanged  a  word  on  the  subject.  But  there  was 
no  doing  anything  with  Harold.  I  believe  he  was 
tyrannical  and  bad  by  nature.  He  was  the  mas- 
ter ;  the  old  man  confided  in  him,  and  he  knew  it 
—  no  one  better.  He  was  so  much  older  than  I 
that  he  was  well  justified  in  treating  me  as  a  child 
for  many  years ;  though  he  continued  to  do  so 
long  after  I  had  reached  man's  estate,  and  was 


The   Tale  of  a  Hunting  273 

able  and  willing  to  do  a  man's  work  in  the  world. 
We  shall  have  a  chance,  now,  to  see  how  nearly 
such  a  boast  can  be  fulfilled,  eh  ? '  He  broke  in 
with  a  laugh  that  had  little  of  amusement  or  en- 
joyment '  But  what  is  the  use  of  telling  you  such 
things  ?  You  must  have  known  them  quite  as  well 
as  I  did  —  they  were  patent  enough  !  While  I 
was  still  very  young,  I  learned  the  uselessness  of 
interference  ;  it  only  turned  him  more  strongly  to 
his  tyranny,  and  did  his  victims  more  harm  than 
good ;  and  every  such  act  of  his  made  him  a  new 
enemy.  The  whole  country  knows  it  well ;  and 
yet  they  must  needs  pick  me  out  as  the  only  man 
who  could  have  killed  him.' 

"  He  had  been  running  on  in  a  sort  of  hysterical 
attack,  and  I  dared  not  interrupt  him.  He  wound 
up  with  a  little  laugh ;  the  course  of  circum- 
stances had  turned  his  whole  nature  sour,  and 
indeed  I  could  not  wonder  at  it.  Everything 
about  the  plantation  had  worked  against  him  from 
the  first,  and  only  his  own  innate  sense  and  good 
nature,  his  sweet  and  patient  disposition,  could 
have  prevented  his  breaking  away  long  before. 
And  now,  to  think  that  I,  who  loved  him  so,  and 
owed  him  so  much,  should  be  the  one  to  drive 
him  away  at  last!  It  made  me  writhe  in  my 
seat. 

T 


274  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  Not  a  sound  now  broke  the  silence  of  the 
night ;  the  river  was  crooked,  and  well  wooded 
along  its  banks,  and  the  cry  of  the  hounds,  if 
there  was  any,  was  taken  up  by  the  leafage  and 
lost  among  the  trees.  They  must  be  far  behind 
us,  for  we  had  paddled  fast,  and  stopped  for 
nothing;  while  the  hunters  had  had  to  overcome 
all  kinds  of  delays  and  obstructions  in  the  woods. 

" '  We  have  shaken  them  off,'  I  gasped,  re- 
lieved. '  Until  we  land  again,  they  cannot  regain 
our  trail ;  and  when  we  are  once  safely  out  of  this 
part  of  the  country,  we  need  only  change  our 
names  and  live  quietly  for  a  while,  to  be  lost  sight 
of  completely.  This  thing  will  make  a  great  cry 
for  a  few  weeks,  and  then  it  will  die  out,  and  no 
man  will  ever  so  much  as  remember  it  once  in  a 
month.  At  the  worst,  it  means  only  making  a 
new  name  and  a  new  career  for  yourself ;  the 
career  was  a  necessity  in  any  case,  since  your 
uncle's  death,  and  you  will  soon  become  used  to 
the  new  name.' 

"  My  argument  seemed  convincing  enough  to 
me,  but  it  did  not  strike  him  with  the  same  force. 

"'I  want  no  career  of  any  kind  under  any 
name  but  my  own,'  he  replied  gloomily,  stirring 
uneasily  in  his  seat.  '  You  forget  that  /  am  the 
one  accused  ;  that  it  is  an  honored  name  that  is 


The  Tale  of  a  Hunting  275 

disgraced  by  this  thing.  I  am  not  ashamed  of 
my  name ;  if  I  am  compelled  to  conceal  it  for  a 
time,  I  will  do  nothing  to  grace  any  other.  I  will 
live  and  die  in  obscurity,  if  I  must ;  but  if  I  seek 
honor  or  fame,  it  must  be  under  the  name  that 
belongs  to  me.  I  will  try  for  no  good  fortune 
until  this  matter  has  been  cleared  up  and  my 
reputation  has  been  vindicated.  That  is  settled. 
But  I  do  not  wish  to  hold  you  down  to  the  ob- 
scurity I  must  court.  I  know  of  no  other  friend 
who  would  have  done  as  much  for  me  as  you  have 
already  done,  and  you  have  my  deepest  gratitude 
for  it.' 

'"Oh,  sir,'  I  broke  out;  'gratitude  from  you 
to  me ! ' 

" '  Surely,'  he  replied.  '  It  is  due,  and  it  is 
given  with  all  my  heart.  But  it  would  be  worse 
than  selfishness  to  keep  you  from  the  chance  of 
fortune  that  every  man  looks  and  hopes  for.  You 
must  leave  me  at  the  first  opportunity  ;  I  would 
say  even  now,  but  for  knowing  that  my  pursuers 
must  be  still  on  our  track.  It  would  not  do  for 
you  to  incur  the  risk  of  meeting  them  ;  but  as 
soon  as  we  are  surely  clear  of  them  we  will  divide 
what  money  I  have,  and  separate.' 

"  I  felt  as  though  he  had  struck  me  in  the  face. 
Was  it  for  this  I  had  brought  him  into  peril  and 


276  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

disgrace,  only  to  be  dismissed  after  a  week  or 
two  ?  I  had  not  shrunk  from  involving  him, 
merely  that  I  might  continue  with  him,  and  I  was 
not  going  to  let  my  sacrifice  of  him  be  rendered 
useless  so  soon. 

" '  Mr.  Edward,  you  may  as  well  make  up  your 
mind  to  this,  first  as  last.  I  will  not  touch  a  penny 
of  your  money,  except  in  your  company ;  I  swear 
I  would  rather  throw  it  into  the  river !  And  I 
swear  that,  through  good  or  evil,  whichever  may 
chance,  I  will  not  leave  you.  I  owe  you  a  life, 
and  many  years  of  comfort  and  happiness,  and 
I  have  an  ambition  to  repay  them  to  the  best  of 
my  ability,  and  to  make  up  in  some  little  degree, 
as  far  as  my  efforts  can  go,  for  the  greater  things 
you  have  lost.  My  brightest  hope  has  never  gone 
beyond  that ;  and  heaven  and  earth  —  and  hell, 
if  it  opposes  —  shall  not  keep  me  from  following 
that  object ! '  I  spoke  as  passionately  as  I  felt. 

"  He  made  no  answer,  but  he  stopped  paddling, 
and  after  a  little  while  I  heard  sounds  that  proved 
to  me  he  was  weeping  silently." 

Burton  sat  quiet  for  some  moments ;  he  seemed 
to  be  mentally  reliving  that  part  of  his  life.  He 
had  told  his  story  in  such  a  quiet  impersonal  way, 
that  it  was  hard  for  me  to  realize  that  he  was 


The   Tale  of  a  Hunting  277 

speaking  of  himself,  or  that  he  was  a  man  with  a 
terrible  criminal  past  behind  him,  a  deadly  hatred 
toward  me  at  the  moment,  and  a  fixed  purpose  to 
commit  a  fresh  murder  before  another  day  dawned. 
The  whole  thing  sounded  like  a  dream  from  which 
I  must  wake  presently.  It  appeared  so  utterly 
impossible  that  I  could  be  lying  there  bound  and 
helpless,  listening  to  a  confession  whose  length 
measured  the  hours  I  had  to  live.  I  knew  that 
after  he  had  told  such  a  tale  to  any  man,  he  must 
for  his  own  safety  put  the  hearer  beyond  the 
power  of  repeating  it ;  'that  each  succeeding  sen- 
tence only  rendered  more  inevitable  the  grim  fate 
that  he  had  prophesied  for  me. 

And  yet,  in  spite  of  this,  I  was  so  wrapped  in 
interest  in  the  words  that  fell  steadily  from  his 
lips  in  his  curious  expressionless  monotone,  that 
I  was  constantly  forgetting  my  condition,  and 
talked  with  him  as  though  we  were  almost  com- 
rades. Heretofore  I  had  thought  him  almost 
incapable  of  any  human  feeling  except  hatred ; 
but  his  story,  and  especially  the  manner  of  its 
telling,  proved  to  me  that  he  was  endowed  with 
as  much  sensibility  as  other  men.  Only  it  had 
been  warped  and  distorted  into  grotesque  pro- 
portions, until  his  mental  parts  resembled  the 
deformed  body  of  a  gnome.  All  the  parts  were 


278  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

there,  but  the  malignant  inclinations  were  over- 
developed, except  where  they  came  in  contact 
with  his  Master  —  and  his  Master's  daughter. 

"You  are  a  strange  compound,"  I  said  wonder- 
ingly.  "  You  are  capable  of  deeper  affection  and 
devotion  than  most  men,  yet  they  seem  to  be 
directed  in  only  one  direction.  If  you  had  tried 
to  exert  a  little  more  charity  and  kindliness  toward 
the  rest  of  the  world,  you  might  have  been  a 
happier  man.  You  have  great  capacity  for  affec- 
tion ;  a  little  more  extended  use  of  it  might  have 
brought  you  great  returns." 

He  laughed  somewhat  bitterly.  "  I  have  given 
my  affection  where  it  seemed  good  to  me,"  he  said. 
"  I  have  poured  the  whole  of  it  at  the  feet  of  three 
people,  and  two  of  them  are  gone.  As  for  re- 
ceiving a  return,  Mr.  Edward  gave  me  more  than 
I  deserved  after  the  trouble  I  had  brought  on  him, 
though  infinitely  less  than  I  desired.  He  would 
have  sacrificed  his  life  to  save  me  as  easily  as  I 
would  have  given  mine  for  him ;  but  he  would 
have  done  it  from  a  sense  of  duty,  and  as  readily 
for  another's  sake  as  for  mine ;  and  he  would 
never  have  felt  the  same  joy  in  the  sacrifice  that 
would  have  animated  me.  I  knew  that  I  had  no 
right  to  expect  it ;  I  never  did  expect  it." 

"  And  My  Lady  ?  "  I  asked. 


The  Tale  of  a  Hunting  279 

He  sprang  up  with  an  oath ;  I  had  unthink- 
ingly touched  upon  the  one  subject  that  unbal- 
anced his  mind. 

"  Do  not  speak  of  her !  "  he  cried  furiously ; 
and  I  thought  he  was  going  to  make  an  end  of 
me  on  the  instant.  He  stood  for  a  moment 
breathing  hard,  and  glaring  at  me  like  some  great 
wild  beast.  "  You  have  done  mischief  enough  on 
this  island,"  he  went  on,  more  quietly,  as  he  slowly 
resumed  his  seat.  "  You  will  do  still  more  if  you 
drive  me  insane  before  you  die  !  " 

"  /  don't  want  to  drive  you  insane,"  I  answered, 
as  quietly  as  I  could,  though  I  had  little  to  gain 
by  conciliating  him.  "  I  believe  you  have  travelled 
more  than  halfway  on  the  road  to  madness  al- 
ready. No  man  in  his  senses  would  have  felt  such 
unreasoning  hatred  as  you  have  shown  toward 
a  stranger." 

"  Unreasoning,  eh  ? "  he  snarled.  "  I  think  we 
won't  discuss  that  matter  now ;  each  of  us  knows 
too  much  about  the  other !  Do  you  want  to  hear 
the  rest  of  my  story,  or  shall  I  make  an  end  of 
the  business  now  ? " 

"  Oh,  since  you  have  gone  so  far,  you  might  as 
well  finish  your  tale,"  I  replied.  "  Every  hour 
counts."  Yet  I  could  not  believe  he  really  in- 
tended to  murder  me. 


280  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  Still  in  love  with  life  ? "  he  laughed.  "  You 
had  better  prepare  for  the  end,  for  there  is  not 
much  more  to  tell. 

"  We  travelled  down  the  river  all  night,  and  by 
daylight  we  had  reached  the  flats  that  fringe  the 
mouth  of  it.  Our  pursuers  had  lost  the  track, 
and  we  heard  no  more  of  them,  but  we  had  no 
means  then  of  learning  that,  and  hid  in  desolate 
places  by  day,  and  resumed  our  way  only  at  night. 
We  suffered  from  the  hot  sun ;  sometimes  we 
were  half-starved,  and  often  we  were  parched  with 
thirst,  so  that  we  had  to  dig  with  our  hands  in 
the  sand  of  the  flats,  and  drink  the  brackish  water 
that  collected  in  the  holes.  But  always  some 
event  happened  to  relieve  our  immediate  necessi- 
ties, and  we  never  quite  died,  though  we  often 
seemed  near  it.  In  the  course  of  a  week,  during 
which  we  shunned  every  human  being,  we  reached 
the  lower  part  of  the  Chesapeake ;  and  there, 
one  quiet  evening^  when  there  was  nothing  worse 
than  a  long,  low  swell  anywhere  on  the  water,  we 
crossed  to  the  Eastern  Shore  without  mishap. 
Once  there,  we  felt  comparatively  safe,  and  ven- 
tured to  show  ourselves,  and  purchase  a  few 
supplies  that  we  needed  badly.  People  sometimes 
looked  suspiciously  at  the  gold  that  we  offered  in 


The  Tale  of  a  Hunting  281 

payment ;  but  in  spite  of  torn  and  soiled  clothing 
and  evident  marks  of  hardship  and  exposure, 
there  was  that  about  Mr.  Edward  that  proclaimed 
him  a  gentleman,  and  they  believed  the  story  I 
told  them,  that  we  were  hunters  on  our  way  north- 
ward. We  rounded  Cape  Charles,  and  made  our 
way  leisurely  up  the  coast,  keeping  within  the 
shelter  of  the  islands  where  we  could,  until  we 
reached  this  spot ;  and  here  we  rested. 

"  Even  now  it  is  the  only  island  within  twenty 
miles  that  is  cultivated ;  the  mainland  is  so  much 
better  soil  that  no  one  has  cared  to  take  up  land 
near  the  sea,  unless  he  loved  the  neighborhood  of 
the  sea,  and  did  not  fear  solitude.  Mr.  Kingsley, 
the  owner  of  the  island,  was  such  a  man,  though 
he  had  another  motive  also,  —  the  belief  that  the 
place  would  some  day  be  the  site  of  a  town,  on  ac- 
count of  the  situation,  and  the  safe  and  excellent 
harborage  on  the  western  side.  But  the  town  did 
not  develop  in  his  day,  and  we  have  not  been  anx- 
ious to  encourage  neighbors. 

"  I  say  we  stopped  here  to  rest.  Mr.  Kingsley 
recognized  a  kindred  spirit  in  Mr.  Edward,  despite 
the  difference  in  their  ages,  and  his  son,  who  was 
nearly  Mr.  Edward's  age,  conceived  a  great  liking 
for  him.  The  result  was  that  we  were  both  offered 
employment  by  Mr.  Kingsley,  and  as  Mr.  Edward 


282 


gladly  accepted,  though  the  payment  was  not  great, 
of  course  I  stayed  with  him.  We  were  not  yet  ready 
to  seek  a  fortune ;  a  safe  and  comfortable  shelter 
for  the  time  was  all  that  either  of  us  hoped  or 
desired. 

"  But  one  thing  disarranged  our  plans.  Mr. 
Kingsley  had  another  child,  a  daughter.  Before 
long,  I  saw  what  was  coming ;  and  when  Mr.  Ed- 
ward told  me  that  he  was  going  to  marry  Miss 
Margaret,  I  was  neither  surprised  nor  disappointed. 
But,  in  spite  of  my  utmost  persuasions,  he  insisted 
on  one  thing.  He  told  the  whole  story  of  our 
flight  and  escape  (as  far  as  he  knew  it)  to  father, 
son,  and  daughter,  and  I  am  bound  to  say  that  the 
result  was  as  satisfactory  as  even  I  could  have 
wished.  They  believed  the  story,  and  scouted  at 
the  idea  of  his  guilt ;  and  it  was  agreed  among 
them  that  the  whole  subject  should  be  dropped  en- 
tirely, unless  a  time  should  come  when  he  could 
appear  before  the  world  and  redeem  his  name. 
He  was  married  under  his  own  name,  but  the  sur- 
name was  never  used  afterward.  Until  Mr. 
Kingsley  died,  they  were  always  known  as  Mr. 
Edward  and  Mistress  Margaret. 

"  Before  Mr.  Kingsley  died,  his  son  was  dead 
also,  and  Miss  Margaret  and  her  husband  inher- 
ited the  land  and  the  slaves.  No  new  slaves  were 


The  Tale  of  a  Hunting  283 

ever  bought ;  all  that  are  here  are  the  descendants 
of  those  Mr.  Kingsley  brought  at  his  first  coming. 
I  loved  Miss  Margaret  for  her  own  sake,  as  well 
as  for  the  sake  of  Mr.  Edward,  though  I  would 
have  tried  to  love  a  rattlesnake  if  he  had  shown 
affection  for  it.  When  My  Lady  was  born  I  gave 
her  a  double  portion  of  love  as  the  child  of  her 
father  and  her  mother ;  and  as  she  grew  older  that 
love  increased  on  her  own  account.  I  knew  she 
was  not  for  me,  but  I  swore  to  myself  that  while  I 
lived  no  other  man  should  claim  her."  He  glanced 
significantly  at  me. 

"  Miss  Margaret  died  while  My  Lady  was  yet  a 
child,  and  after  that  Mr.  Edward  began  to  age 
fast ;  partly  through  grief  for  her  loss,  and  partly 
through  regret  that  he  had  never  been  able  to 
clear  his  name  of  the  charge  of  murder  that  had 
clouded  it  so  many  years.  For,  after  we  had  been 
here  some  two  years,  and  after  Mr.  Kingsley  had 
been  told  our  story,  the  old  man  set  on  foot  some 
cautious  inquiries.  And  the  message  brought  back 
was  that  a  coroner's  jury  had  judged  that  '  Harold 
Darke,  of  Chilton,  had  come  to  his  death  at  the 
hands  of  Edward  Cunningham  ;  '  and  that  Allan 
Darke,  the  heir  of  his  brother,  was  most  bitter  and 
relentless  in  his  search  for  his  brother's  murderer." 


XVI 

ORDEAL    BY   FIRE 

I  HAD  been  half  expecting  some  such  ending, 
and  yet,  when  it  came,  it  gave  me  a  shock.  The 
murder  of  my  uncle,  whereby  my  father  had  come 
into  possession  of  the  estate,  was  an  old  story,  so 
old  as  to  have  become  practically  forgotten.  For 
my  own  part,  I  had  not  even  thought  of  it  half  a 
score  of  times  in  my  life,  for  it  had  happened 
before  I  was  born ;  in  fact,  it  was  not  until  my 
father  had  become  the  heir  unexpectedly  that  he 
had  felt  justified  in  seeking  my  mother's  hand.  The 
occurrence  had  not  been  mentioned  in  my  hearing 
until  after  I  was  well  grown,  and  then  only  as  a 
matter  of  remote  family  history.  No  one  ever  ex- 
pected to  find  Edward  Cunningham  ;  he  had  disap- 
peared so  completely  that  it  was  generally  believed 
that  he  and  his  servant  had  perished  from  exposure 
or  starvation  while  hiding  from  the  hue  and  cry  that 
had  roused  the  whole  colony. 

Now  a  great  light  broke  on  me,  and,  in  a  rapid 
review  of  the  events  that  had  taken  place  since  my 

284 


Ordeal  by  Fire  285 

coming  to  the  island,  I  easily  understood  all  that 
had  been  so  incomprehensible  before. 

"  So  he  was  Edward  Cunningham ! "  I  said 
wonderingly.  "  What  a  strange  chance  !  Then 
that  was  why  my  name  seemed  to  startle  you  ? " 

"  Of  course.  I  knew  you  had  discovered  us, 
though  I  don't  see,  even  now,  how  you  did  it ;  nor 
do  I  understand  why  you  were  so  foolish  as  to  give 
us  your  real  name.  If  you  had  used  a  false  one, 
I  should  never  have  suspected  you." 

"I  had  no  reason  for  concealing  my  name,"  I 
returned,  with  some  impatience.  "  I  told  you  at 
the  first  that  I  did  not  know  where  I  was,  and  that 
all  I  wished  was  to  get  away  again." 

"  Naturally  —  to  get  away  and  bring  the  law  to 
bear  on  us  as  soon  as  you  had  made  quite  certain 
of  our  identity  !  " 

"  I  tell  you  I  had  no  idea  of  anything  of  the 
sort,"  I  reiterated.  "  You  were  both  supposed  to 
be  dead  many  years  ago  ;  why  should  I  be  hunting 
for  dead  men  ?  I  tell  you,  until  to-night  I  had  no 
thought  of  your  story ;  I  should  have  known  noth- 
ing about  it  if  you  had  kept  silence." 

"You  keep  up  the  game  still?"  he  sneered. 
"  You  must  think  me  a  fool !  " 

"So  I  do !  "  I  retorted.  "  You  are  a  fool  to 
refuse  to  see  a  fact  that  is  thrust  in  your  face.  A 


286  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

little  reflection  should  convince  you  that  I  am  tell- 
ing the  truth.  If  your  story  is  true,  you  have 
committed  one  murder  already,  and  I  know  it 
cannot  have  contributed  to  your  peace  of  mind ; 
indeed,  you  have  owned  as  much.  You  may  have 
been  justified,  to  a  certain  extent,  in  revenging 
yourself  on  my  uncle  —  I  don't  know.  At  any 
rate,  you  had  strong  provocation.  But  you  have 
no  provocation  and  no  reason  for  committing  a 
fresh  crime.  I  will  give  you  any  assurance  for 
your  safety  that  you  can  demand.  I  will  strike 
a  bargain  with  you  ;  I  am  in  very  comfortable  cir- 
cumstances, and  can  afford  to  make  a  tempting 
offer.  If  you  will  release  me,  I  will  take  an  oath 
not  to  move  in  this  matter  for  a  full  year,  which 
will  give  you  plenty  of  time  for  escape  to  Europe 
or  concealment.  I  will  give  you  a  bond  for  one 
thousand  pounds,  which  will  enable  you  to  make 
a  good  start  in  the  world ;  you  can  easily  turn  it 
into  money  anywhere  in  Virginia,  and  I  will  prom- 
ise to  stay  on  the  island  for  any  time  that  you  may 
require  to  negotiate  it.  I  will  not  set  in  motion  any 
pursuit  of  you.  At  the  worst,  the  most  I  will  do  will 
be  to  clear  the  Master's  name  of  the  charge  of  mur- 
der that  has  stained  it  so  long ;  and  that  only  on 
account  of  My  Lady,  who  would  wish  it  fervently. 
I  have  no  personal  feeling  in  the  matter ;  I  never 


Ordeal  by  Fire  287 

knew  my  uncle,  and  after  all  these  years,  there  is 
little  use  in  raking  up  the  affair  again.  I  offer  you 
a  chance  to  escape,  with  a  clear  conscience  and 
ample  means,  and  the  assurance  that  there  will 
be  no  pursuit  through  my  action." 

He  listened  to  me  with  more  patience  than  I 
had  expected,  but  he  seemed  utterly  unmoved. 

"  And  My  Lady  ? "  he  asked,  in  his  turn. 

"My  Lady  —  "  I  hesitated.  "My  Lady  is  her 
own  mistress,  and  my  cousin,  if  you  have  been 
telling  me  the  truth.  I  should  try  to  persuade  her 
to  leave  this  plantation,  since  she  could  hardly 
continue  to  live  here  alone." 

"  To  leave  it  for  yours,  eh  ?  "  he  inquired. 

Again  I  hesitated.  I  wished  to  avoid  irritating 
him,  for  I  believed  I  saw  a  chance  of  bribing  him 
to  let  me  go,  if  I  could  offer  sufficient  induce- 
ment ;  but  not  even  for  that  could  I  deny  myself 
where  My  Lady  was  concerned. 

"  Yes,  if  she  would !  I  have  no  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  she  would,  —  at  least  not  now ;  but  if  I 
could  persuade  her  to  confide  herself  to  my  love, 
I  should  be  the  proudest  and  happiest  man  alive." 

His  eyes  lighted  up.  "  Ah,  I  thought  we  should 
come  to  it  at  last !  "  he  cried.  "  Poor  fool,  do  you 
suppose  such  childish  bribes  could  tempt  me  ?  Do 
you  not  know  that,  after  what  I  have  confessed,  not 


288  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

all  the  gold  ever  coined  could  buy  your  life  ?  And 
even  without  that,  your  designs  as  to  My  Lady 
are  enough  to  decide  your  fate.  I  tell  you 
again,  no  man  shall  have  her  while  I  live ;  you 
will  be  the  first  to  die  because  of  seeking  her,  but 
you  are  not  likely  to  be  the  last ! " 

I  saw  that  his  intention  was  immovable,  and 
also  that  he  was  growing  excited.  The  end  was 
drawing  near,  but  there  was  one  last  chance,  and 
I  played  it. 

"  Do  you  suppose  My  Lady  will  tolerate  you 
after  she  finds  that  you  have  murdered  me  ? " 
I  asked. 

"  She  will  never  know  it,"  he  returned,  with  a 
terrible  certainty. 

"  She  will  surely  know  that  I  am  dead,  and  she 
will  want  to  know  how  and  why." 

"  The  manner  will  be  evident,  and  that  soon," 
he  replied,  with  one  of  his  expressionless  laughs. 
"  An  accident  is  going  to  happen  which  will  be  a 
quite  sufficient  explanation ;  when  everything  is 
over,  she  will  only  know  that  you  have  disappeared 
—  perhaps  she  will  think  you  have  run  away  from 
her."  The  wretch  would  have  grinned  if  it  had 
been  possible ;  he  seemed  to  be  making  super- 
human efforts  to  bring  some  expression  into  his 
features.  He  gloated  over  me  as  though  he  were 


Ordeal  by  Fire  289 

some  beast  about  to  devour  me ;  he  seemed  hardly 
able  to  tear  himself  away  from  the  contemplation 
of  my  hopeless  condition. 

"What  do  you  mean  to  do?"  I  asked;  and  for 
my  life  I  could  not  keep  a  tremor  out  of  my  voice. 
He  noticed  it,  and  laughed  again. 

"You  will  know  soon  enough,"  he  returned; 
"quite  soon  enough  for  your  own  comfort." 

He  turned  away  and  glanced  at  the  shutters  of 
the  windows.  They  were  wide  open,  except  on 
the  side  toward  the  house.  He  closed  them  all, 
but  did  not  take  the  trouble  to  fasten  them ;  and 
when  he  entered  the  other  room,  I  heard  him  close 
them  there  in  the  same  way.  Next  I  heard  a 
sound  of  rending  wood ;  then  silence  for  a  few 
moments,  while  my  heart  beat  almost  to  bursting 
with  the  strain  of  waiting.  I  expected  him  to 
return  shortly,  and  knock  me  in  the  head  or  cut 
my  throat ;  it  seemed  the  easiest  and  quickest 
way,  and  I  supposed  he  was  making  preparations 
for  the  disposal  of  my  body.  I  knew  how  far  I 
was  from  any  other  dwelling  on  the  plantation, 
and  the  uselessness  of  shouting  for  help.  He 
knew  it  too ;  he  was  so  certain  of  it  that  he  had 
not  taken  the  trouble  to  gag  me.  His  failure  to 
do  so  proved  his  absolute  security  against  interrup- 
tion. I  felt  the  hopelessness  of  further  parley 


290  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

with  him,  and  tried  to  make  up  my  mind  to  die 
silently  and  courageously.  But  it  was  hard ;  I  was 
young,  and  life  and  love  were  sweet. 

Burton  came  to  the  door  and  glowered  at  me, 
taking  a  fresh  torch  and  holding  it  high  above  my 
face.  He  stuck  it  in  a  crack  between  two  logs, 
and  disappeared  for  a  moment,  returning  with  an 
armful  of  broken  wood  that  I  recognized  as  the 
remains  of  the  rough  furniture  of  the  outer  room. 
This  he  proceeded  to  pile  loosely  against  the  par- 
tition, just  outside  the  door.  From  where  I  lay, 
I  could  watch  the  whole  proceeding,  and  though 
I  wondered  what  he  could  have  in  mind,  I  dis- 
dained to  ask  him  further  questions.  I  was  sure 
that,  as  he  had  said,  I  should  know  my  fate  very 
shortly. 

At  last  the  sticks  were  piled  to  his  satisfaction, 
and  he  looked  around  at  me. 

"  Good-by,  my  friend,"  he  said.  "  I  leave  you 
free  to  cry  out  as  loudly  as  you  please ;  it  will  be 
music  for  me.  I  told  you  I  intended  to  do  the 
thing  nicely ;  in  an  hour  more  it  will  be  a  sharp 
searcher  who  can  discover  even  so  much  as  one 
of  your  bones.  I  shall  know  where  you  are,  but 
no  one  else  will,  and  My  Lady  may  perhaps  think 
you  have  run  away  rather  than  face  her  and  the 
explanation  that  she  is  expecting  from  me.  Of 


Ordeal  by  Fire  291 

course  I  shall  give  her  an  explanation,  but  it  will 
be  very  different  from  the  one  I  have  given  you 
to-night,  and  it  will  show  you  and  your  conduct  in 
a  vastly  different  and  less  complimentary  aspect. 
Good-by,  my  friend !  It  is  not  a  pleasant  death 
that  is  coming  to  you ;  still,  many  others  before 
you  have  travelled  the  same  path,  and  they  all 
seem  to  care  very  little  about  it  now." 

Keeping  his  eyes  still  fixed  on  me,  to  enjoy  the 
expression  of  horror  that  must  have  come  over  my 
face,  he  stooped,  and  thrust  his  torch  into  the 
loose  pile  of  sticks. 

"  Good-by,  my  friend !  It  will  be  slow,  and  it 
will  be  sharp,  but  far  quicker  and  far  easier  than 
I  could  wish  for  you.  Good-by  !  " 

The  jeering  voice  died  away ;  the  devilish  face 
disappeared  ;  and  I  heard  the  outer  door  close. 
I  was  alone  in  the  hut  face  to  face  with  death 

—  and  death  by  fire  ! 

Only  then  did  full  realization  of  my  situation 
rush  upon  me.  The  hope  —  almost  the  belief 

—  that  he  could  not  be  in  such  deadly  earnest, 
which   kept  me  up  heretofore,  disappeared  in  a 
single  breath.     My  resolves  to  meet  my  fate  man- 
fully and  in  silence,  if  it  did  come,  gave  way,  and 
I    must  confess  that  I  was   terrified   to   the   last 
degree ;  nor  am  I  in  the  least  ashamed  of  having 


292  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

been  so.  If  he  had  offered  to  shoot  or  stab  me, 
or  even  beat  out  my  brains,  I  could  have  faced 
it ;  but  such  a  thing  as  this  had  never  entered  my 
mind.  I  saw  his  plan  :  long  before  the  fire  broke 
through  the  windows  or  the  roof,  and  brought 
the  rest  of  the  plantation  on  the  scene,  I  should 
be  only  a  charred  corpse ;  and  when  the  last 
embers  cooled  off,  I  should  be  as  thoroughly  con- 
sumed as  any  old  Roman  on  his  funeral  pyre. 
Meanwhile,  he  would  stand  in  some  convenient 
place  outside,  and  listen  to  my  cries  as  the  fire 
scorched  me. 

The  torch  flickered  and  crackled  in  the  light 
wood.  From  where  I  lay,  I  could  see  the  flame 
beginning  to  creep  upward,  first  slowly,  then 
with  a  quicker  rush.  It  caught  on  the  framework 
of  the  partition,  and  climbed  rapidly.  A  thick 
smoke  began  to  fill  the  room,  and  I  could  feel 
the  heat  strike  my  face.  The  fire  crackled  and 
snapped ;  sparks  began  to  fly.  One  fell  upon 
the  coverlet  under  which  I  lay,  and  the  coverlet 
was  soon  smoking. 

The  fire  had  fascinated  and  dazed  me,  at  first ; 
when  it  began  to  climb,  I  seemed  incapable  of 
any  thought  except  to  wonder  how  soon  it  would 
reach  me.  I  glared  at  it  stupidly.  My  breathing 
was  already  a  little  difficult  by  reason  of  the 


Ordeal  by  Fire  293 

smoke,  which  crept,  too,  into  my  eyes,  and  almost 
blinded  me.  I  shook  my  head  to  dash  away  the 
tears  and  see  more  clearly.  I  saw  the  smouldering 
spark  catch  on  my  coverlet,  and  the  creeping  line 
of  fire  spread  rapidly.  Then  my  fortitude  gave 
way  when  the  thing  came  so  close  to  me,  and  I 
shouted  for  help ;  I  writhed  and  struggled  desper- 
ately under  my  bonds,  tearing  the  skin  against  the 
rope.  I  cried  for  help  in  a  voice  that  would  have 
moved  to  pity  any  one  but  a  fiend  like  Burton. 
The  rapidly  increasing  smoke  blinded  my  eyes  and 
stopped  my  lungs ;  I  coughed  and  choked  while  I 
struggled,  and  at  last  lay  still,  utterly  exhausted  by 
my  efforts,  almost  apathetic  and  half  insensible. 

And  then,  when  the  last  hope  seemed  gone, 
I  felt  a  sudden  breath  of  fresh  air  that  could 
only  come  from  an  open  window.  Just  one 
breath,  for  the  window  swung  back  again ;  but 
that  one  movement  brought  my  senses  to  me  in 
some  fashion,  and  I  shouted  again. 

"  Be  still ! "  said  a  voice,  and  I  felt  the  touch  of 
a  hand.  The  next  moment  most  of  the  light  of 
the  fire  died  out.  I  learned  afterward  that  it 
was  because  the  door  of  the  partition  had  been 
closed,  shutting  the  body  of  the  fire  into  the 
front  room,  for  the  time,  though  the  partition 
itself  was  blazing  in  spots  on  the  inner  side. 


294  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

Now  that  help  had  come,  I  was  willing  enough 
to  be  silent,  knowing  that  Burton  would  not  hesi- 
tate to  commit  another  crime  if  necessary  to 
insure  my  destruction.  The  rescuer  apparently 
knew  his  danger  also,  for  he  spoke  in  a  low  tone 
that  even  I  could  hardly  hear  above  the  crackle 
of  the  flames. 

Yet  the  next  order  was  a  contradictory  one. 

"Go  on  shouting  at  intervals.  He  must  think 
you  are  still  afraid  !  " 

Stupid  as  I  was  from  the  smoke,  I  saw  the 
sense  of  the  command,  and  obeyed  it. 

I  felt  a  hand  run  over  me  from  head  to  foot. 

"  Where  are  the  knots  ? " 

"  I  don't  know,"  I  whispered.     "  Cut  the  rope." 

"  I  have  no  knife,"  returned  my  new-found 
friend. 

The  hands  began  to  feel  again.  "  I  have  found 
one,"  said  the  voice,  seeming  to  come  from  a 
great  distance.  The  smoke  in  my  lungs  was 
suffocating  me  slowly,  though  I  felt  no  incon- 
venience from  it.  Facts  began  to  grow  hazy  to 
my  mind,  and  I  took  no  more  than  a  languid 
interest  in  the  proceedings,  as  though  I  were  a 
mere  spectator  of  a  dull  play.  I  could  feel  the 
hands  tugging  at  the  knots,  and  I  felt  only  a  faint 
amusement  at  the  ineffectual  struggles  of  the 


Ordeal  by  Fire  295 

rescuer.  I  could  hear  him  pant  and  gasp  as  he 
struggled ;  the  smoke  was  in  his  lungs,  too,  I 
knew,  and  I  wondered  how  long  it  would  take 
him  to  reach  the  stage  of  apathy  that  had  over- 
taken me.  I  hoped  it  would  be  soon,  for  I  found 
it  very  pleasant,  after  the  first  sensation  of  chok- 
ing was  past.  He  was  evidently  a  good  fellow, 
and  I  hoped  to  see  him  rewarded  for  his  efforts. 

I  heard  the  voice  say,  "  Oh,  my  God! "  and  then 
the  tugging  at  the  knots  ceased.  Ah,  he  had 
become  numb  too,  then  I  felt  how  he  must  be 
enjoying  it.  But  no,  he  staggered  to  the  window, 
and  tore  it  open,  the  foolish  fellow.  I  was  in- 
clined to  call  him  names  for  not  knowing  when 
he  was  well  off.  The  rush  of  air  cleared  the 
smoke  somewhat,  but  it  made  the  flames  leap  up 
fiercely.  A  vague  figure  leaned  out  of  the  win- 
dow for  a  moment,  while  the  smoke  poured  past 
him  thickly. 

Then  my  rescuer  seemed  to  have  discovered 
what  he  was  looking  for.  Picking  up  something 
from  the  floor  near  my  bed,  he  darted  back  to  me 
and  began  slashing  at  the  cords,  which  this  time 
yielded,  releasing  my  numbed  legs.  Later  I 
learned  that  the  flames  had  revealed  my  knife  — 
the  one  that  I  had  sharpened  so  carefully  for  my 
first  attempt  at  escape  months  ago. 


296  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

But  my  deliverance  was  as  far  away  as  ever. 
Indeed  I  anathematized  my  good  friend  for  dis- 
turbing my  comfortable  lethargy.  Without  re- 
gard for  my  feelings,  however,  he  rolled  me 
over  to  the  floor  where  the  smoke  was  less  dense. 
Then  my  senses  came  back,  in  part  —  torturing 
me,  but  bringing  a  fresh  desire  to  live,  to  breathe 
once  more.  My  deliverer  tugged  at  my  shoulders, 
encouraging  me  in  low  tones  to  make  some  efforts 
to  save  myself.  Together  —  I  know  not  how  — 
we  staggered  to  the  low  window  which  he  had 
thrown  open.  Then,  with  a  final  shove  from  my 
helper  and  a  last  struggle  on  my  part,  I  fell 
outward  to  the  ground,  a  few  feet  below.  I 
dropped  heavily,  and  the  shock  revived  me  sud- 
denly. I  saw  my  rescuer  leap  through  the  win- 
dow after  me,  and  the  shutter  was  closed  with  a 
quick  jerk,  shutting  the  smoke  and  the  flame 
into  the  house.  The  fire  was  just  beginning  to 
break  through  the  roof  at  the  front  of  the  hut,  as 
I  could  tell  by  the  faint  glare  on  the  tree-tops, 
but  in  the  inner  room  the  flames  were  still  crawl- 
ing slowly  about  the  walls. 

Out  here  in  the  open  air,  I  revived  rapidly  ; 
the  wind  blew  the  smoke  in  our  direction,  but 
most  of  it  went  over  our  heads.  It  served  a  good 
purpose,  too,  for  it  and  the  deep  shadow  in  which 


Ordeal  by  Fire  297 

we  lay  served  to  conceal  us  from  the  watcher  that 
I  knew  must  be  standing  somewhere  close  to  the 
hut.  My  apathy  was  gone,  now,  and  I  was  im- 
patient for  freedom.  It  seemed  to  me,  however, 
that  my  limbs  would  never  get  life  again.  But 
at  last  they  began  to  tingle,  and  what  an  unut- 
terable relief  it  was  to  feel  that  I  could  stretch 
my  arms  and  legs  freely !  All  this  time  I  had 
not  dared  to  speak,  for  I  could  not  tell  how  close 
Burton  might  be  standing.  My  companion  was 
silent  also. 

The  last  turn  of  the  rope  fell  to  the  ground, 
and  I  rolled  loose,  free  once  more.  I  felt  some- 
thing cold  and  hard  thrust  into  my  hand,  and  my 
heart  leaped  as  I  recognized  the  handle  of  a  dag- 
ger —  the  first  offensive  weapon  I  had  held  since 
my  landing  on  the  island.  Now  I  felt  myself  a 
man  once  more ;  I  was  ready  to  meet  Burton,  or 
any  one,  and  felt  no  doubt  of  being  able  to  hold 
my  own. 

A  hand  clutched  my  arm,  and  a  voice  whis- 
pered, "  Come !  " 

"Just  a  moment,"  I  answered.  I  felt  no  fear 
of  Burton,  now  that  I  was  armed ;  besides,  there 
were  two  of  us.  Even  then  I  recollected  the 
riding- whip  that  I  had  preserved  so  carefully. 
I  had  been  handling  it  that  evening,  and  had 


298  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

thrust  it  into  my  boot  The  shock  of  my  fall 
must  have  dislodged  it.  It  certainly  seemed  worth 
looking  for,  and  I  knew  that  it  would  be  buried 
among  the  ruins  of  the  hut  if  it  were  left  there. 
I  stooped  and  felt  on  the  ground,  spending  sev- 
eral minutes  in  the  search.  Again  my  rescuer's 
hand  clutched  me. 

"What  is  it?"  he  whispered  impatiently,  and 
somewhat  fearfully,  it  seemed  to  me.  "  We  must 
be  quick ! " 

Just  then  my  hand  fell  on  it.  "  All  right,  I  am 
ready,"  I  answered,  straightening  up  and  thrust- 
ing the  whip  into  the  bosom  of  my  shirt. 

He  grasped  my  hand,  and  drew  me  forward. 
"  Keep  in  the  line  of  smoke,"  he  whispered, 
"  and  follow  me.  It  will  help  to  conceal  us." 

I  obeyed  without  a  question.  I  was  stiff  in 
every  limb  from  my  long  confinement,  and  each 
movement  seemed  more  painful  than  the  last; 
but  the  grasp  on  my  hand  never  relaxed,  and 
with  my  rescuer's  help  I  managed  to  hobble  for- 
ward, even  to  run  in  clumsy  fashion. 

We  ran  straight  away  westward  through  the 
grove ;  the  darkness,  even  without  the  smoke, 
had  been  intense,  but,  just  as  we  emerged  on  the 
farther  side  of  the  grove,  a  part  of  the  roof  of  the 
hut  fell  in  with  a  crash,  and  instantly  the  flames 


Ordeal  by  Fire  299 

leaped  skyward,  lighting  up  the  whole  vicinity 
like  day.  Instinctively  I  turned  to  look  at  my 
companion,  and  broke  out  with  a  great  cry  that 
must  have  been  distinctly  audible  above  the  noise 
of  the  falling  timbers.  While  I  had  wondered 
who  my  saviour  could  be,  my  wildest  guess  had 
been  wide  of  the  truth. 

"  My  Lady  !  "  I  cried,  aghast,  and  stopped  short 
where  I  stood. 

By  the  light  of  the  fire  I  could  see  her  flush 
deeply.  I  still  held  one  of  her  hands,  and  she 
pressed  the  disengaged  one  to  my  mouth.  "  Be 
still !  "  she  whispered.  "  He  is  close  by ;  come 
with  me." 

When  she  removed  it,  I  raised  the  hand  I  held, 
and  kissed  it. 

"  My  Lady  and  my  love ! "  I  whispered ;  but 
she  made  no  answer,  except  to  draw  me  onward. 

Now  that  I  could  meet  mine  enemy  on  some- 
what equal  terms,  I  was  loath  to  flee  from  him. 
If  I  had  been  alone,  I  should  have  hunted  him 
like  any  other  wild  beast,  as  I  had  learned  to 
stalk  bears  and  Indians  in  their  haunts,  and  have 
slain  him  with  as  little  remorse.  He  would  have 
hunted  me  down,  if  he  had  had  the  slightest  idea 
that  I  was  not  lying  beneath  the  burning  logs  of 
the  cabin.  But  My  Lady's  hand  was  in  mine, 


300  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

and  My  Lady's  safety  was  the  first  consideration. 
I  grasped  the  hand  more  closely,  and  we  fled,  like 
a  pair  of  frightened  children,  away  from  the 
grove,  now  brilliantly  illumined  by  the  burning 
cabin,  across  the  rough  fields,  until  we  met  a 
cattle  fence  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away. 
Along  this  we  walked  (not  so  carefully  now) 
toward  the  mansion.  From  the  quarters  of  the 
negroes  we  could  hear  excited  cries,  and  by  the 
light  of  the  flames,  even  at  that  distance,  we  could 
see  the  slaves  pouring  out  of  their  huts  and  hasten- 
ing pell-mell  toward  the  fire.  It  was  too  late  for 
them  to  succor  me,  if  I  had  been  still  in  the  hut ; 
perhaps  they  had  not  even  a  thought  of  such  a 
thing.  But  a  fire  by  night  exercises  a  wonderful 
power  of  attraction  over  even  a  civilized  man ; 
he  must  follow  it,  and  creep  as  close  to  it  as  he 
can,  just  as  I  have  seen  horses,  after  being  led  to 
safety,  rush  back  into  the  flames  they  have  just 
escaped. 

They  hurried  over  the  fields,  shouting  wildly 
as  they  went,  in  a  straight  line  from  their  huts 
to  mine.  Our  path  lay  to  one  side  of  theirs,  and 
though  the  light  from  the  cabin  threw  us  into 
plain  view  (or  so  it  seemed  to  us),  not  one  of 
them  turned  his  head  to  notice  us ;  perhaps,  hav- 
ing that  light  in  their  eyes,  they  could  not  have 


Ordeal  by  Fire  301 

seen  us  if  they  had  turned.  At  any  rate,  we 
went  on  unnoticed,  until  we  had  reached  and 
passed  the  quarters  they  had  just  left,  and  were 
on  our  way  to  the  mansion.  And  all  our  way 
thither,  neither  of  us  spoke  so  much  as  a  word ; 
she  seemed  to  have  nothing  to  say  to  me  then, 
and  my  last  words  to  her,  with  the  tone  of  them, 
embraced  all  the  speeches  of  love  and  gratitude 
that  I  could  have  spoken.  I  could  say  no  more : 
if  she  understood  them,  nothing  more  was  needed ; 
if  she  did  not,  no  floods  of  speech  could  explain 
to  her  what  I  felt.  Sometimes  I  thought  to  ex- 
press my  thanks,  but  when  I  tried  it  I  choked  un- 
accountably, and  held  my  peace  for  very  shame's 
sake,  fearing  that  a  further  endeavor  at  that  time 
would  make  me  burst  into  tears  and  break  down 
entirely.  Moreover,  I  could  understand  a  part 
of  what  My  Lady  felt,  and  it  was  not  for  me  to 
add  to  the  strain. 

The  great  house  was  dark  and  silent;  every 
slave  was  at  the  scene  of  the  fire,  and  doubtless 
they  supposed  their  mistress  was  there  too.  The 
great  door  of  the  hall  stood  wide  ajar,  but  My 
Lady  would  not  enter  it ;  instead,  she  led  me  to  a 
side  window  that  opened  to  the  floor.  It  swung 
back  at  a  touch,  and  we  entered.  The  room  was 
very  dark,  of  course,  but  I  knew  it  was  the  library 


302  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

where  I  had  so  often  seen  My  Lady  and  the 
Master  in  those  long  summer  evenings  when  I 
kept  my  lonely  watch  near  them.  So  often  had 
I  watched  them,  so  familiar  had  I  grown  with 
the  aspect  of  everything  there,  that  I  felt  as 
though  I  were  revisiting  a  room  in  my  own  home. 
There  was  not  a  piece  of  furniture,  hardly  even  a 
book,  that  I  could  not  have  laid  my  hand  on 
blindfolded. 

So  when  My  Lady  crossed  the  room,  and  I 
felt  her  sink  into  a  chair,  I  knew  it  must  be  the 
chair  in  which  she  had  been  in  the  habit  of  sitting 
by  the  Master's  side.  I  was  sure  that  by  stretch- 
ing out  an  arm  I  could  reach  his  own  chair  and 
draw  it  to  her  side.  But  I  did  not  try  to  reach  it ; 
I  thought  it  would  seem  a  desecration  to  the  girl 
who  had  never  seen  any  figure  in  it  but  the  one  so 
lately  lost 

She  sank  into  the  chair,  and  released  my  hand ; 
and  then,  in  the  darkness,  I  heard  the  sound  of 
great  bursting  sobs.  She  had  given  way  at  last ; 
the  only  wonder  to  me  was  that  she  had  not  done 
so  long  before. 

For  some  time  I  let  her  weep  undisturbed. 
From  my  own  sensations,  I  knew  it  must  be  a 
relief  to  her,  for  nothing  would  have  suited  my 
temper  better  just  then  than  to  give  way  to  tears 


Ordeal  by  Fire  303 

myself;  indeed,  I  had  some  ado  to  prevent  it. 
The  last  twelve  hours  had  had  a  lifetime  of  emo- 
tions crowded  into  them.  My  nerves  had  been 
strained  to  the  breaking  point,  and  I  knew  that,  if 
I  gave  way  for  a  moment,  "my  whole  system  must 
feel  the  crash  that  would  follow.  The  only  thing 
that  sustained  me  was  the  necessity  of  caring  for 
My  Lady. 

It  was  agonizing  to  wait  there  listening  to  her 
sobs  in  the  darkness,  even  though  I  knew  how 
they  relieved  her,  and  at  last  I  could  stand  it  no 
longer.  Kneeling  beside  the  chair  (with  much 
trepidation,  I  must  own),  I  felt  for  her  hands, 
which  I  knew  were  covering  her  face.  To  my 
vast  relief,  she  yielded  me  a  hand  without  resist- 
ance, and  for  some  minutes  I  held  it  in  both  of 
mine  without  speaking.  The  silent  hand-clasp  of  a 
friend  often  serves  better  than  words ;  and  if  mine 
conveyed  only  half  my  thoughts,  it  is  no  wonder 
that  it  soon  began  to  have  its  effect.  Her  sobs 
grew  less  explosive,  though  they  still  continued, 
and  soon  her  failure  to  resent  my  advance  em- 
boldened me  yet  more.  I  slipped  an  arm  around 
her  and  drew  her  toward  me  until  her  head  leaned 
heavily  against  my  shoulder,  and  still  she  made 
no  effort  to  escape.  Instead,  she  lay  there  quietly, 
as  though  glad  of  the  rest  and  support,  and  her 


304  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

sobs  came  more  easily  and  less  frequently,  until 
finally  they  ceased  altogether ;  yet  she  did  not  with- 
draw from  my  embrace.  I  did  not  natter  myself 
that  her  confidence  meant  much.  I  knew  it  was 
merely  due  to  exhaustion,  and  the  longing  for  the 
support  and  sympathy  of  a  friend,  and  any  one 
else  would  have  served  the  same  purpose  as  well. 
She  had  forgotten  who  I  was,  except  that  I  was  a 
friend. 

Yet  it  was  a  delight  to  me,  even  so,  and  I  found 
it  hard  to  refrain  from  putting  some  of  my  passion 
into  my  clasp  of  her.  But  it  would  not  have  been 
fair  to  take  advantage  of  her  momentary  weak- 
ness ;  I  kept  myself  well  in  hand,  while  thinking 
that  the  next  time  I  held  her,  if  such  a  time  should 
ever  come,  it  would  be  with  her  willing  consent, 
and  in  my  proper  character  of  a  man  who  loved 
her. 

She  was  of  too  strong  a  nature  to  yield  long  to 
such  an  attack ;  gradually  her  sobbing  ceased,  and 
she  withdrew  herself  gently  from  my  clasp.  Only 
an  occasional  trembling  of  her  voice  remained  to 
show  what  trials  she  had  so  lately  passed  through. 

"  Mr.  Darke,"  she  said,  as  I  rose  and  stood 
beside  her,  "  I  thank  you  sincerely  for  your  for- 
bearance. I  know,  now,  how  much  wrong  we 
have  done  you,  and  it  is  only  by  an  accident  that 


Ordeal  by  Fire  305 

you  have  escaped  this  last  and  greatest  injury. 
It  shall  be  my  business  to  see  that  no  further 
outrage  —  " 

I  could  not  bear  to  hear  her  accusing  herself  thus. 
I  dropped  on  one  knee  again,  and  felt  for  her  hand. 

"  Oh,  My  Lady,"  I  cried,  "  what  has  happened 
has  been  no  fault  of  yours  or  mine !  Even  your 
father  was  deceived;  and,  with  the  light  he  had, 
he  was  quite  justified  in  defending  himself  in 
every  possible  way.  As  for  Burton's  acts  of  to- 
night, you  could  not  be  in  any  way  responsible 
for  them.  He  is  a  madman,  and  if  you  could 
have  heard  the  story  he  told  me  —  " 

"  I  did,"  she  interrupted.     "  I  heard  it  all !  " 

"All?"  I  cried.  "Were  you  at  hand  all  that 
time?" 

"  I  had  followed  him,"  she  answered,  in  a  low 
voice.  "  I  could  not  sleep ;  I  was  sitting  at  the 
window,  and  saw  him  steal  out  from  the  rear  of 
the  house.  I  had  bidden  him  stay  in  the  house, 
and  he  had  never  before  disobeyed  any  command 
of  mine,  that  I  knew  of.  From  his  secrecy,  I  di- 
vined that  his  errand  could  not  be  a  good  one ; 
and  after  his  conduct  of  yesterday,  when  he 
showed  his  hatred  of  you  so  plainly,  I  felt  sure 
he  had  some  design  against  you.  I  slipped  on  a 
cloak  and  followed  him." 


306  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  Followed  such  a  man  through  the  night ! 
You  have  your  father's  courage,  My  Lady." 

"  I  was  armed,"  she  returned.  "  I  took  my 
father's  pistol.  Besides,  whatever  else  he  might 
be  capable  of,  he  would  never  harm  me." 

After  his  late  performances,  I  did  not  feel  at  all 
sure  of  that ;  his  mania  might  easily  take  a  sudden 
twist,  and  turn  against  the  former  objects  of  his 
affection.  But  I  did  not  think  it  necessary  to 
suggest  this  to  her,  at  such  a  time  ;  she  had  safely 
escaped  for  the  present,  and  I  resolved  to  take 
care  that  she  incurred  no  more  danger  from  him. 

"  Then  you  must  have  heard  what  we  both 
said,"  I  murmured  absently,  striving  to  recollect 
how  much  I  had  confessed  of  my  own  feeling  for 
her. 

The  hand  I  held  gave  a  slight  involuntary  pull, 
as  though  to  withdraw  itself,  but  I  clasped  it 
firmly,  and  she  forbore  to  try  further. 

"  I  heard  it  all,"  she  replied  slowly,  as  though 
the  words  came  in  spite  of  themselves.  "  I  did 
not  know  what  he  intended  to  do ;  but  if  he  had 
attempted  to  strike  you,  my  bullet  would  have 
found  him.  I  should  not  have  missed  him,  for  I 
have  practised  shooting  all  my  life.  I  know  it  is 
not  a  feminine  accomplishment,  but  I  have  always 
been  brought  up  like  a  boy,  rather  than  as  a  girl. 


Ordeal  by  Fire  307 

I  was  unwilling  to  harm  him  unless  I  must,  for 
I  was  anxious  to  hear  his  story  ;  and  from  what  he 
had  said  to  you,  I  knew  he  was  likely  to  tell  more  of 
the  truth  than  he  would  ever  tell  to  me.  Even 
now,  I  should  not  like  to  see  him  harmed.  Though 
he  brought  disaster  upon  my  father,  except  in  that 
single  instance  he  has  been  wonderfully  faithful 
to  us,  and,  after  a  lifetime  of  trust,  it  is  hard  to 
change  my  opinion  of  him  all  in  a  moment.  I 
should  be  glad  never  to  see  him  again,  after  what 
has  happened,  though  I  suppose  I  cannot  escape 
it." 

"  I  will  see  him  first,  and  give  him  his  dismissal, 
if  you  authorize  me,"  I  said. 

"  Oh,  no !  "  she  cried,  in  quick  alarm.  "  I  must 
do  it  myself !  " 

"  At  least,  let  me  be  near  to  protect  you,"  I 
begged. 

She  hesitated. 

"You  have  every  right.  I  had  forgotten  that 
he  murdered  your  uncle.  You  will  have  him  pun- 
ished for  the  crime  ? " 

I  hastened  to  answer  the  unspoken  regret  that 
I  detected  in  her  tone.  Perhaps  I  was  wrong, 
morally  ;  I  certainly  did  a  very  illegal  thing.  But 
it  seemed  clear  to  me  that  no  good  purpose  could 
be  served  by  having  the  old  scandal  of  a  quarter 


308  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

of  a  century  ago  raked  up  and  dragged  through 
the  mire  of  publicity  again.  For  my  own  part,  I 
felt  no  more  interest  in  the  matter  than  if  Bur- 
ton's victim  had  been  a  total  stranger  to  me  —  as, 
indeed,  he  was,  in  all  but  name.  The  idea  of 
vengeance  at  this  late  day  did  not  appeal  to  me 
in  the  least.  Only,  her  father's  name  must  be 
cleared  of  the  old  disgraceful  charge ;  though 
that  could  be  done  without  necessarily  bringing 
the  real  criminal  to  justice. 

I  paused  to  weigh  my  words. 

"  My  uncle  died  before  I  was  born,"  I  said. 
"  I  had  no  thought  of  seeking  his  murderer  when 
I  came  here.  Let  him  go,  if  such  is  your  wish. 
To  be  driven  from  your  presence,  knowing  that 
you  have  learned  his  history  and  condemn  him 
for  it,  will  be  a  greater  punishment  than  any  law 
could  inflict." 

What  a  change  in  our  relations  during  a  few 
days  !  For  a  moment  she  did  not  speak  or  move ; 
and  then  —  then  —  her  other  hand  sought  mine, 
and  held  it  firmly.  What  I  felt  is  beyond  de- 
scription. For  months  I  had  been  drawing  closer 
and  closer  to  her  in  my  own  mind,  yet  in  hers 
I  had  been  still  afar  off.  That  one  instinctive 
movement  proved  to  me  that  her  mind  had  passed 
across  the  great  barren  distance  that  had  lain 


Ordeal  by  Fire  309 

between  us,  and  that  now  we  stood  on  common 
ground.  We  were  friends,  and  more  than  friends ; 
it  would  go  hard  with  me  if  I  did  not  draw  her 
ever  closer,  until  our  two  minds  were  as  one. 

And  she  knew  that  I  loved  her,  yet  she  gave 
me  both  her  hands  thus  !  The  hot  words  of  love 
trembled  on  my  lips  ;  it  was  a  hard  fight  to  re- 
strain them  while  those  two  strong  hands  were 
clasped  so  closely  in  mine.  So  we  stood  for  a 
time,  scarcely  even  thinking.  The  mere  fact  of 
presence  was  enough  for  me ;  for  her,  I  could  not 
tell,  but  I  hoped  many  things,  and  with  reason. 


XVII 

IN  THE  MASTER'S  ROOM 

FOR  my  own  part,  I  felt  quite  willing  to  have 
this  sweet  companionship  endure  indefinitely.  It 
did  last  for  a  long  time,  and  during  all  of  it  I  could 
think  of  nothing  but  of  her  and  her  presence.  The 
sound  of  distant  voices  roused  us  at  last ;  My  Lady 
started  as  they  struck  her  ear.  The  cabin  must 
have  been  completely  destroyed,  and  the  negroes 
were  returning  to  their  broken  slumbers. 

"  Come  with  me,  quickly,"  she  whispered,  draw- 
ing me  gently  toward  the  door.  So  led,  I  would 
have  followed  straight  to  hell,  if  her  path  had  lain 
that  way. 

"Where  are  you  taking  me  ?  "  I  inquired,  as  we 
emerged  into  the  great  hall. 

"  Above  stairs,"  she  replied.  "  You  must  not  be 
seen  to-night." 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  see  ?  Burton  will  return  with  them. 
I  fear  a  fresh  attempt  against  you,  if  he  knows  of 
your  escape ;  and  if  he  learned  that  I  had  been 

310 


In  the  Master's  Room  311 

the  means  of  it,  and  had  heard  all  his  confession, 
I  dare  not  think  what  he  would  do,  or  attempt  to 
do." 

"  Why  should  we  not  have  him  seized  and  placed 
in  confinement  to-night  ? "  I  asked,  while  we  were 
ascending  the  stairs. 

"Why  should  we  run  any  unnecessary  risks?" 
she  rejoined.  "If  he  does  not  suspect,  —  and 
there  is  no  reason  why  he  should,  —  he  will  be 
perfectly  at  ease.  But  to-morrow  I  shall  question 
him ;  such  an  interview  demands  daylight,  and 
plenty  of  witnesses." 

"  It  may  be  better  so,"  I  said,  after  a  little  re- 
flection. "  But  you  must  le£  me  be  near  you ;  he 
may  become  dangerous  when  he  learns  the  truth." 

"  He  would  never  harm  me,"  she  answered,  with 
certainty.  "  But  you  shall  be  near  by ;  it  is  your 
right." 

"  There  must  be  no  question  of  rights  between 
you  and  me,  My  Lady,"  I  said,  using  the  familiar 
title,  to  which  my  thoughts  had  grown  accustomed. 
"  The  best  of  me  is  yours  already,  and  I  hope —  " 

"  Here  is  your  room,"  she  interrupted  hurriedly, 
as  though  afraid  to  hear  the  rest  of  my  sentence. 

As  she  opened  the  door,  in  spite  of  the  darkness 
I  recognized  the  room  in  which  I  had  had  that  last 
memorable  meeting  with  the  Master. 


312  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  This  room  is  yours,  for  the  time,"  she  ex- 
plained. "After  to-morrow  we  will  see  about 
other  accommodation  for  you,  —  that  is,  if  you  care 
to  stay  with  us  for  a  short  time  longer.  There  is 
no  compulsion,  now,"  with  a  little  tremble  in  her 
voice. 

"  If  I  care  !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  I  would  like  to  make  what  reparation  is  pos- 
sible for  what  you  have  suffered,"  she  continued 
wistfully.  "  So  I  hope  you  will  be  in  no  great 
haste  to  leave  us."  The  dear  voice  quivered  sus- 
piciously, and  I  hastened  to  put  her  at  her  ease. 

"  Once  for  all,  My  Lady,"  I  said,  with  all  the 
earnestness  I  felt,  "there  is  no  question  of  repa- 
ration between  us,  —  I  beg  you  to  understand  that. 
You  had  nothing  to  do  with  my  detention.  I  tell 
you  I  am  glad  that  it  happened  ;  and  it  has  turned 
out  for  the  best,  since  it  has  led  to  the  knowledge 
of  our  relationship,  and  to  —  "I  broke  off  my  sen- 
tence, for  it  was  leading  to  the  thing  that  I  was  re- 
solved not  to  say  (if  I  could  restrain  myself  so  far) 
under  the  pressure  of  our  late  excitement.  "  And 
even  if  you  had,"  I  continued  more  quietly,  "  you 
are  my  cousin,  and  alone ;  and  it  will  be  a  joy  and 
pride  to  me  to  serve  you  however  I  may,  —  for 
that,  and  for  other  reasons." 

"  Your  cousin  !"  she  exclaimed  softly.      "I  had 


In  the  Master's  Room  313 

forgotten  that  part  of  it !  It  seems  strange  to 
think  we  are  so  nearly  related." 

"  I  hope  we  may  be  more  closely  related,  some 
day,"  I  ventured  to  murmur.  The  words  were 
forced  from  me,  and,  as  I  feared,  she  took  alarm 
at  them. 

"  Here  is  the  key  of  the  door,"  she  said,  thrust- 
ing it  into  my  hand,  and  ignoring  my  remark.  "  I 
beg  you  to  lock  yourself  in,  and  do  not  let  yourself 
be  seen  or  heard  until  I  come  to  call  you  myself. 
No  one  is  likely  to  disturb  you  here,  but  it  is  best 
to  be  on  the  safe  side.  Use  anything  in  the  room 
as  though  it  were  your  own.  Good  night ;  here 
come  the  servants.  Good  night !  " 

She  gave  my  hand  a  friendly  pressure,  which  I 
returned  with  warmth. 

"  Good  night  —  Marjorie  !  "  It  was  the  first  time 
I  had  ever  used  her  name.  She  had  never  been 
addressed  by  it  save  by  the  Master. 

I  heard  her  give  a  little  gasp,  but  she  answered 
me  never  a  word.  She  hurried  away  down  the 
hall,  and  I  entered  the  room  and  locked  the  door. 
I  had  no  light ;  a  candle,  especially  in  that  room, 
would  have  been  the  height  of  imprudence.  I 
made  my  way  quietly  to  the  bed,  and  was  soon 
asleep ;  the  excitement  of  the  night  was  past,  and 
body  and  mind  were  thoroughly  tired. 


314  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

A  gentle  tapping  on  the  door  roused  me  from 
the  sweetest  slumber  I  had  known  for  weeks ;  the 
first  time  I  had  lain  down  without  a  single  care  or 
doubt.  I  sprang  from  the  bed  and  approached 
the  door,  being  unwilling  to  answer  until  the  caller 
spoke,  for  fear  of  betraying  my  presence  prema- 
turely. I  would  answer  to  no  one  but  My  Lady. 

"  Mr.  Darke  !  "     It  was  her  voice. 

"Yes;  what  is  it?" 

"  Oh,  are  you  awake  so  soon  ?  I  only  wanted 
to  ask  you  to  dress  as  quickly  as  possible." 

"  I  will  be  ready  in  a  very  few  minutes,"  I 
answered. 

"  Thank  you ;  I  am  sorry  to  have  been  obliged 
to  waken  you,  for  I  know  how  tired  you  must  be ; 
but  it  was  necessary." 

"  Yes,  I  know ;  there  is  no  occasion  for  apology." 

"Oh  —  and  I  meant  to  tell  you  not  to  forget 
that  if  you  find  any  clothes  in  the  room  that  you 
think  might  fit  you,  pray  use  them." 

"  You  are  very  thoughtful.     I  will  do  so." 

I  waited  a  moment  for  another  remark,  but, 
hearing  none,  proceeded  to  put  myself  in  order. 
There  were  at  least  a  dozen  suits  hanging  in  the 
wardrobes,  and  I  selected  one  of  them  that  pleased 
my  fancy  and  looked  as  though  it  might  not  be 
far  from  my  measure.  I  also  came  across  a  case 


In  the  Master's  Room  315 

of  razors  (though  the  Master  had  worn  a  beard), 
and  my  first  move  was  to  make  use  of  one  of 
them.  What  luxury  it  was  !  During  these  months 
on  the  island,  my  beard  had  grown  long  and  thick. 
Somehow,  I  had  never  thought  of  what  a  differ- 
ence it  must  make  in  my  appearance ;  but  as  tuft 
after  tuft  of  it  dropped  beneath  the  strokes  of  the 
razor,  I  seemed  to  take  on  a  new  life,  to  become 
literally  a  new  man.  Perhaps  it  was  the  last  mark 
of  my  imprisonment  dropping  from  me,  like  the 
broken  shackles  from  the  limbs  of  a  released  pris- 
oner of  state,  that  made  me  feel  so.  The  face 
that  I  saw  in  the  mirror  when  I  first  looked  was 
almost  the  face  of  a  stranger,  so  long  had  it  been 
since  I  had  seen  it  clearly;  but,  with  the  last 
scrape  of  the  keen  edge,  I  knew  myself  once 
more.  It  served  to  bring  home  to  me  the  reality 
of  the  immense  change  that  had  taken  place  in 
my  situation  and  prospects.  Somehow,  all  that 
had  gone  before,  especially  the  events  of  the  last 
twenty-four  hours,  seemed  to  have  been  a  dream  ; 
but  now  I  was  awake,  and  myself  at  last. 

Clean  clothes  and  a  clean  face  made  another 
man  of  me  inwardly  as  well  as  outwardly,  and  it 
was  with  a  feeling  of  great  elation  that  I  heard 
a  knock  at  the  door,  and  My  Lady's  voice  calling 
me.  As  I  crossed  the  room,  I  noticed  my  precious 


316  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

relic,  the  little  riding-whip,  lying  on  the  floor, 
where  it  had  fallen  from  my  clothes  the  night  be- 
fore ;  I  picked  it  up  and  laid  it  on  the  table  as  I 
passed. 

My  Lady  stood  at  the  door,  bearing  a  tray  in 
her  hands,  laden  with  breakfast  things.  She  kept 
her  eyes  demurely  fixed  on  the  tray  as  she  entered 
and  placed  it  on  the  table. 

"  I  had  one  of  the  maids  bring  this  up  for  my 
own  breakfast,"  she  explained,  with  a  faint  smile, 
beginning  to  arrange  the  things  on  the  table  in  a 
nervous  manner.  "  It  seemed  the  only  way  to 
avoid  a  suspicion  of  any  one  else  being  in  the 
house.  Now  I  shall  change  my  mind  —  like  a 
woman  —  and  breakfast  downstairs  as  usual." 

I  closed  the  door  behind  her,  and  walked  across 
the  room,  and  stood  with  my  back  to  the  fireplace. 
My  Lady  still  refused  to  look  up,  and  I  wanted  to 
see  her  eyes.  I  thought  I  should  never  tire  of 
looking  at  them. 

"  I  hope  you  slept  well,"  she  continued,  still  toy- 
ing with  the  dishes. 

I  made  no  answer,  and  there  was  a  long  silence, 
so  long  that  she  became  uneasy. 

"Why  do  you  not  speak  to  me?"  she  asked, 
raising  her  eyes  suddenly. 

I   had   expected   her   to   be  impressed    by  the 


In  the  Master's  Room  317 

change  in  my  appearance,  but  I  was  utterly  un- 
prepared for  the  effect  of  it.  Her  eyes  fell  on 
me,  and  then  swiftly  glanced  above  my  head,  and 
My  Lady  staggered  back  with  a  low  cry  of  amaze- 
ment—  or  was  it  terror?  Without  stopping  to 
analyze  it,  I  sprang  forward  to  catch  her ;  but  she 
waved  me  off,  while  her  gaze  travelled  backward 
and  forward  between  me  and  the  space  above  the 
fireplace. 

"  What  is  it,  My  Lady  ? "  I  cried,  in  lively  alarm. 

She  could  not  speak,  but  her  outstretched  hand 
followed  the  direction  of  her  eyes.  I  turned  to 
look,  and  it  was  my  turn  to  exclaim ;  for  there, 
above  where  I  stood,  hung  a  portrait  of  the  new 
face  that  had  appeared  in  the  mirror  a  short  hour 
before.  A  little  older,  perhaps,  but  in  all  essen- 
tial features  the  same,  line  for  line.  And  not  the 
face  only ;  even  the  clothing  was  the  same,  for 
the  coat  that  I  had  selected  to  wear  was  exactly 
the  color  of  the  one  in  the  portrait.  The  likeness 
could  not  have  been  more  precise  if  it  had  been 
finished  that  very  morning.  On  the  one  previous 
occasion  on  which  I  had  been  in  the  room,  the 
figure  of  the  dying  Master  had  absorbed  all  my 
attention,  and  this  morning  I  had  been  too  preoc- 
cupied with  my  thoughts  and  my  preparations  to 
notice  my  surroundings  very  carefully.  It  was  no 


318  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

wonder  that  My  Lady  received  a  shock  when  she 
saw  what  seemed  the  original  standing  beneath 
the  familiar  portrait. 

"  Good  heavens !  Whose  is  the  picture,  My 
Lady?"  I  exclaimed. 

She  looked  at  me  as  though  she  thought  me 
demented.  Imagine  a  man  asking  to  be  told 
who  was  the  original  of  his  own  accurate  likeness ! 

"  Whose  is  it  ? "  I  repeated. 

"  My  father ! "  she  answered,  with  the  soft  ac- 
cent that  always  came  into  her  voice  whenever 
she  spoke  to  him  or  of  him. 

I  saw  it  at  once.  Why  the  likeness  had  not 
been  noticed  on  my  first  arrival  I  do  not  know, 
unless  weariness  and  exposure  had  somewhat 
altered  my  features.  Then,  too,  the  portrait  and 
I  had  not  been  seen  together  before ;  and  the 
clothing  I  had  worn  hitherto,  plain  in  color,  soaked 
with  sea-water,  and  soiled  by  the  ground  on  which 
I  had  slept  after  the  storm,  must  have  given  me  a 
vastly  different  appearance  from  the  one  pre- 
sented by  the  gay  cavalier  in  the  maroon  velvet 
coat  that  matched  the  costume  of  the  portrait. 

"  It  is  wonderful !  "  I  said,  in  a  low  tone.  "  No 
wonder  you  were  startled,  My  Lady !  No  doubt 
it  was  painted  when  he  was  about  my  age." 

"Yes,"  she  said.     "  Just  before  I  was  born.     My 


In  the  Master's  Room  319 

mother  wished  it,  and  he  could  refuse  her  noth- 
ing." 

"  He  was  a  younger  man,  then,  than  he  looked," 
I  said. 

"  Yes,  far  younger.  I  knew  he  had  a  trouble  on 
his  mind  that  aged  him  rapidly,  though  until  last 
night  I  never  guessed  what  it  was,  or  how  great. 
When  I  first  remember  him,  he  appeared  far  from 
young." 

"  No  wonder !  The  thought  of  the  unmerited 
disgrace  attached  to  his  name,  and  the  hopeless- 
ness of  ever  clearing  it  away,  must  have  been  hard 
to  bear,  and  wearing  on  his  patience." 

"Very  hard,"  she  murmured.  "And  I  could 
not  help  him  !  " 

"  Yet  it  seems  to  me,"  I  went  on,  "  that  the  con- 
sciousness of  his  own  innocence  might  have  helped 
to  sustain  him,  and  take  away  some  of  the  sting  of 
the  disgrace." 

She  shook  her  head.  "  No  doubt  it  did  a  little," 
she  mused.  "  But  he  was  so  sensitive,  so  tender- 
hearted !  It  even  grieved  him  terribly  that  he  felt 
obliged  to  detain  you  —  he  told  me  so  often ;  and 
it  was  one  more  trouble  added  to  those  that  have 
been  heaped  on  him  through  no  fault  of  his  own. 
He  trusted  so  in  Burton's  tale  that  your  obstinacy 
angered  him.  But  he  was  often  tempted  to  let 


32O  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

you  go  free,  and  trust  to  your  honor  not  to  betray 
him ;  indeed,  I  know  that  he  would  have  done  so 
long  ago  if  he  had  not  been  quite  certain  that  he 
had  but  a  few  months  longer  to  live.  He  told  me 
what  he  expected,  but  I  did  not  believe  it  —  I  could 
not ;  I  was  sure  he  exaggerated  the  danger  of  his 
condition.  I  was  wrong,  and  he  was  right,  as  he 
always  was.  Except  in  your  case,"  she  added 
bravely,  after  a  pause.  I  honored  her  for  her  per- 
fect justice.  "  But  he  said  that  a  few  months  would 
be  all  he  expected,  and  he  wished  to  die  in  peace. 
He  said,  too,  that  a  young  man  could  well  afford 
the  time  to  ease  the  last  hours  of  a  dying  old 
man." 

"I  do  not  regret  the  time,  —  now,"  I  rejoined. 
"  I  am  glad  to  know  that  those  last  months  were 
as  free  from  care  as  might  be.  But  to  think  that 
all  this  might  have  been  cleared  up  long  ago,  if  he 
had  only  told  me  what  his  ideas  were !  I  would 
most  gladly  have  been  a  friend  to  him  —  and  to 
you." 

"  He  was  so  sure  that  you  knew  who  he  was, 
and  that  your  denial  was  untrue !  It  was  a  most 
unfortunate  misunderstanding  altogether,"  she  said 
sadly,  "  and  you  were  not  the  only  sufferer  by  it. 
But  it  seemed  so  evident  that  you  had  come  in 
search  of  him,  that  he  could  suppose  nothing  else ; 


In  the  Master's  Room  321 

and  Burton,  of  course,  took  all  possible  means  of 
fostering  the  delusion." 

"And  yet  Burton  frankly  explained  the  whole 
matter  that  could  never  have  been  understood 
without  his  help !  We  owe  him  some  gratitude 
for  that,  at  least,  even  though  he  intended  the 
knowledge  to  die  with  me.  What  a  surprise  there 
is  in  store  for  him  !  "  I  said,  with  grim  satisfaction, 
for  the  thought  of  the  overwhelming  punishment 
that  was  coming  to  him  for  his  deceit  and  his 
murderous  attempts  was  very  pleasant.  "  What  a 
surprise  to  find  me  still  alive,  and  both  of  us  in 
possession  of  his  cherished  secret !  " 

My  Lady  shook  her  head  sadly.  "  I  cannot 
bear  to  think  of  it,"  she  said.  "  He  has  been  so 
faithful  for  so  many  years,  and  we  trusted  him  so 
implicitly!  It  is  very  hard  to  understand  how  a 
man  could  have  two  such  opposite  natures,  and 
act  according  to  both  of  them  at  the  same  time. 
Even  now,  I  can  hardly  believe  that  it  is  not  all  a 
bad  dream." 

"  It  is  only  a  bad  dream,"  I  responded.  "  At 
least  it  is  all  past  and  gone  like  a  dream  ;  and  the 
dreams  that  I  have  dreamed  were  of  happier  pros- 
pect. If  they  are  only  fulfilled  I  shall  ask  nothing 
better  of  life  !  " 

My  voice  trembled  in  spite  of  my  utmost  en- 
v 


322 

deavors.  It  was  trenching  on  dangerous  ground  ; 
ground  that  might  —  that  must — be  trodden  ere 
long,  but  that  was  forbidden  for  the  present.  I 
felt  like  a  soul  standing  at  the  gate  of  Paradise, 
seeing  the  happy  walks  and  ways  within,  but  not 
permitted  to  set  foot  on  the  threshold,  as  yet ;  not 
even  sure  that  I  would  be  permitted  to  enter  at  the 
last. 

Again  My  Lady  took  alarm.  After  last  night, 
she  knew  so  well  what  thing  I  must  say  to  her, 
sooner  or  later !  But  she  fenced  with  the  matter, 
tried  to  postpone  it  as  long  as  possible.  She  rose 
from  her  chair  quickly,  and  moved  toward  the  door, 
but  turned  to  speak  again. 

"  I  will  leave  you  for  a  while,"  she  said.  "  Af- 
ter the  dinner  hour  I  will  have  the  great  bell  rung, 
and  every  soul  on  the  island  assembled  below  the 
porch  at  the  front  of  the  house.  I  shall  confront 
Burton  there,  and  he  shall  answer  for  what  he 
has  done.  But  before  I  speak  to  him,  I  will  come 
for  you." 

She  turned  once  more  to  leave  me,  but  stopped 
suddenly,  as  though  petrified.  My  eyes  followed 
the  direction  of  hers,  and  I  saw  her  looking  at  the 
little  riding-whip  that  lay  on  the  farther  end  of  the 
table.  Slowly  she  approached  it,  and  inspected 
it  narrowly,  without  offering  to  touch  it ;  and  when 


In  the  Master's  Room  323 

she  was  assured  of  its  identity  the  crimson  mounted 
slowly  to  her  face,  until  it  was  all  aglow. 

"  Where  did  that  come  from  ?  "  she  asked,  with- 
out looking  at  me. 

I  hesitated. 

"  I  found  it  —  on  the  top  of  a  dune." 

She  grew  redder  than  before,  if  such  a  thing 
could  be. 

"How  did  it  come  here ?  " 

"  I  brought  it,  last  night." 

"Why,  you  saved  nothing  from  the  cabin  !  "  she 
exclaimed. 

"  You  forget.  When  you  bundled  me  out  of  the 
window  so  unceremoniously,  that  went  with  me ; 
I  had  had  it  in  my  boot." 

"Was  that  what  you  were  searching  for  when 
I  was  trying  to  hurry  you  away  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Why  ?     Was  it  so  precious  ? " 

I  hesitated.  The  matter  would  take  a  long  time 
to  explain  properly  to  her.  I  was  not  quite  sure 
that  I  could  explain  it  to  myself. 

"  Why  ?  "  she  repeated  insistently,  with  her  eyes 
still  fixed  on  the  whip. 

"  Because  it  was  a  sort  of  souvenir,  and  I  had 
an  affection  for  its  —  for  it."  I  hastened  to  alter 
the  form  of  my  sentence.  Again  I  had  narrowly 


324  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

missed  making  the  declaration  she  was  so  anxious 
to  avoid.  My  unruly  tongue  seemed  bound  to  get 
the  better  of  me ;  my  mind  was  so  impregnated 
with  my  love  for  her  that  the  words  would  start  to 
my  lips  in  spite  of  my  efforts  at  restraint. 

She  seemed  deeply  mortified. 

"  Did  you  hate  me  so  much  as  that  ? "  she 
asked  mournfully,  looking  down  at  the  whip. 

"  Hate  you ! "  I  exclaimed.  "  How  can  you  think 
such  a  thing  ?  .  .  .  You  told  me  you  had  heard  all 
my  conversation  with  Burton  last  night,"  I  said 
slowly. 

"I  did,  but  —  " 

"Then  you  know  how  groundless  and  untrue 
such  a  supposition  is,"  I  continued. 

There  was  a  slight  pause.  "What  are  you 
going  to  do  with  it  ? "  she  asked. 

"  I  don't  know,  —  now.  Still  keep  it  as  a 
souvenir,  I  suppose." 

She  thought  deeply  for  a  few  moments. 

"  Will  you  give  it  to  me  ? "  she  asked  suddenly. 

"  To  you  ? "     I  was  taken  aback  by  the  request. 

"Yes." 

"  I  should  be  sorry  to  part  with  it,"  I  said. 
"Yet  it  is  already  yours  by  right;  I  have  no 
lawful  claim  to  it." 

She  took  it  up,  and   moved  toward  the   door; 


/;/  the  Master's  Room  325 

and,  as  she  turned  the  handle,  "  I  shall  make  good 
use  of  it,"  she  said.  She  raised  her  eyes  as  she 
spoke,  and  they  were  full  of  tears  that  were  ready 
to  fall;  yet  not  exactly  tears  of  sorrow,  if  her 
face  told  the  truth.  In  another  instant  she  had 
closed  the  door  behind  her,  leaving  me  bewildered, 
to  speculate  upon  her  possible  meaning. 

I  was  sure  that  she  would  not  care  to  carry  the 
whip  again.  From  what  I  had  seen  on  the  dune 
that  day,  I  knew  the  associations  connected  with 
it  must  be  painful,  and  I  could  not  imagine  why 
she  should  wish  to  keep  the  thing  by  her,  unless 
to  remind  her  not  to  be  too  hasty  on  some  other 
occasion.  Well,  I  thought  if  matters  went  on  as 
I  would  have  them,  I  should  know  all  about  it 
some  day ;  and  if  not  —  I  did  not  care  particu- 
larly to  think  about  that  contingency,  so  I  put  it 
aside  with  commendable  resolution,  and  sat  down 
to  breakfast.  I  was  young  and  strong,  and  hope 
is  a  thing  not  to  be  put  aside  without  the  best  of 
reasons.  And  it  seemed  to  me,  just  then,  that  I 
had  the  best  of  reasons  for  clinging  to  all  my 
hopes,  even  the  wildest.  Wherefore,  I  had  an 
excellent  appetite. 


XVIII 

THE   RESURRECTION    OF   THE   DEAD 

WHEN  My  Lady  first  called  me,  I  had  glanced 
out  of  the  window  and  observed  the  position  of 
the  sun,  which  was  so  well  up  in  the  heavens  that 
I  guessed  it  to  be  between  ten  and  eleven.  Evi- 
dently My  Lady  had  felt  the  need  of  rest  herself 
(and  no  wonder!),  and  had  given  both  of  us  the 
full  benefit  of  the  time.  By  the  time  I  had  finished 
breakfasting  it  was  nearly  noon,  and  soon  after  I 
heard  the  bell  rung  to  call  the  slaves  to  dinner.  I 
watched  them  returning  from  the  field,  though 
I  was  careful  to  keep  well  back  from  the  open  win- 
dow, that  no  wandering,  casual  glance  might  spy 
me.  I  was  quite  sure  that  My  Lady  had  so  laid 
her  plans  as  to  make  the  final  settlement  of  Burton's 
account  effective,  if  not  actually  dramatic ;  and  I 
had  no  mind  to  spoil  her  design,  though  I  could 
hazard  only  vague  guesses  as  to  what  it  was. 

I  had  rather  expected  My  Lady  to  call  me 
when  the  first  bell  rang,  for  at  that  time  all 
the  slaves  would,  of  course,  come  to  their  quarters. 

326 


The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  327 

But  herein  My  Lady's  mind  was  vastly  better  than 
mine,  for  she  let  them  go  to  their  huts  as  usual, 
without  a  sign ;  and  I  soon  saw  the  good  sense  of 
the  procedure.  For  when  men  are  hungry,  they 
think  first  of  their  stomachs,  and  have  little  mind 
or  patience  to  spare  for  long  statements,  however 
interesting,  or  for  abstract  justice. 

It  had  always  been  the  custom  to  ring  the  bell 
when  it  was  time  to  call  the  negroes  from  the 
fields,  for  the  reason  that,  so  used,  the  sound  was 
carried  to  a  great  distance;  and  as  there  was 
almost  always  some  one  working  in  the  woods, 
or  perhaps  well  away  toward  one  of  the  extrem- 
ities of  the  island,  such  laborers  could  the  more 
clearly  hear  the  signal.  But  when  they  had  all 
returned  to  their  quarters,  there  was  no  need  of 
any  great  volume  of  sound,  and  a  couple  of  strokes 
of  the  bell  were  the  signal  to  return  to  work. 

Just  here  shone  forth  My  Lady's  genius.  For, 
after  they  were  all  collected,  and  the  hour  allowed 
for  dinner  had  elapsed,  instead  of  tolling,  as  usual, 
the  bell  was  rung  violently.  Every  one  on  the 
plantation  knew  what  such  a  signal  meant ;  it 
was  for  the  gathering  of  all  the  force  of  servants 
on  the  wide  lawn  that  lay  at  the  front  of  the 
house ;  a  sort  of  general  alarm  call.  So  seldom 
was  this  signal  used  that  during  the  months  of 


328  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

my  life  on  the  island  I  had  never  heard  the  bell 
ring,  except  the  regular  noon  and  evening  sum- 
mons to  meat.  It  can  be  imagined,  therefore, 
what  excitement,  almost  consternation,  ensued 
among  the  negroes,  and  with  what  haste  they 
poured  on  to  the  shady  lawn  before  the  house. 

Even  while  the  bell  was  still  ringing,  My  Lady's 
dear  voice  called  me  at  last,  and  as  we  descended 
the  stairs  together  she  laid  her  plan  before  me. 
All  the  house  servants  had  already  been  sent  out 
to  the  lawn,  so  that  there  was  no  danger  of  our 
being  seen  before  the  proper  time  came. 

By  her  direction,  I  took  my  stand  in  the  draw- 
ing-room. The  curtains  extended  to  the  floor, 
and  as  the  frames  were  cut  from  top  to  bottom, 
and  hinged,  they  were  often  used  as  doors.  In 
all  of  them  heavy  curtains  were  now  drawn  close, 
leaving  but  a  narrow  slit  through  which  the  light 
could  enter.  This  arrangement  afforded  ample 
opportunity  for  me  to  view  the  spectacle,  while  it 
entirely  concealed  me  from  the  view  of  the  crowd 
outside ;  a  single  sweep  of  the  arms  would  throw 
back  the  hangings,  and  three  steps  would  bring 
me  to  My  Lady's  side. 

The  wild  clamor  of  the  bell  ceased,  and  My  Lady 
stepped  forth  from  the  hall  door  to  the  railing  of 
the  porch,  and  there  she  stood  surveying  the  as- 


The  Resurrection  of  tJie  Dead  329 

semblage  in  silence  for  some  momen's.  I  wish 
I  had  the  power  to  tell  how  sweet  she  looked,  and 
withal  so  grand  and  stately,  like  a  queen  prepar- 
ing to  address  her  subjects.  Yet  there  was  in  her 
face  something  of  the  judge,  also ;  a  certain  grim- 
ness  and  menace  that  might  have  seemed  natural 
enough  on  the  Master's  face,  but  that  sat  strangely 
on  hers.  An  expression  newly  born  of  the  occa- 
sion that  called  it  forth,  such  as  no  one  of  them 
had  ever  seen  on  her  before ;  a  fixed  determina- 
tion that  was  strange  to  me  also  (though  something 
like  it  had  appeared  the  day  she  had  saved  my 
life  at  the  quicksand),  that  sent  a  thrill  of  appre- 
hension through  the  heart  of  many  a  poor  slave 
who  had  no  reason  whatever  for  the  trembling 
that  seized  him.  The  one  man  who  had  good 
reason  to  feel  alarm  was  by  an  accident  rendered 
almost  incapable  of  displaying  his  feelings,  though 
he  was  probably  rejoicing  in  the  belief  that  at 
one  blow  he  had  destroyed  his  enemy,  his  con- 
fessor, and  every  evidence  of  his  guilt. 

As  My  Lady  scanned  each  face,  the  chattering 
died  away,  and  a  dead  silence  ensued. 

"  Where  is  Burton  ? "  She  had  seen  him,  but 
affected  ignorance  of  his  presence.  He  came 
forward  from  the  extreme  edge  of  the  crowd, 
and  saluted. 


330  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  Here,  My  Lady." 

"  Let  every  one  else  stand  back  for  a  few  yards. 
Do  you  remain  where  you  are." 

They  left  him  alone  in  the  midst  of  a  great 
semicircle.  I  could  see  his  eyes  glance  about 
furtively ;  he  was  not  afraid,  but  he  began  to  be 
uneasy,  though  he  little  imagined  what  exceeding 
cause  for  apprehension  he  had.  This  was  not 
the  sort  of  scene  he  had  expected  wherein  to  re- 
count to  her  the  false  explanation  that  he  had 
doubtless  prepared  to  tell  her. 

My  Lady  looked  all  about  her,  as  though  search- 
ing for  some  one. 

"  I  do  not  see  Mr.  Darke,"  she  said,  looking  at 
Burton. 

I  could  hear  a  sudden  murmur  sweep  along  the 
crowd,  but  only  Burton  spoke.  He  hesitated  for 
a  moment ;  then  — 

"  Mr.  Darke  does  not  know  the  meaning  of  the 
bell,  My  Lady,"  he  said. 

"  Ah,  yes ;  I  had  forgotten  that !  Then  send  some 
one  for  him  quickly ;  I  wish  him  to  be  present." 

Burton  made  no  movement  to  comply  with  her 
order;  the  crowd  around  stood  stock  still.  They 
knew — as  they  thought  —  what  had  become  of 
me,  but  it  was  not  their  affair  to  tell  of  it  unless 
they  were  asked. 


The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  331 

"  Well,"  said  My  Lady,  with  evident  impatience, 
"  why  do  you  not  send  for  him  ?  I  do  not  intend 
to  spend  the  rest  of  the  day  waiting.  Must  I  send 
one  of  the  slaves  myself?  " 

Burton  seemed  staggered  at  the  demand.  He 
knew  the  uselessness  of  sending  to  seek  me,  yet 
he  did  not  know  how  to  break  the  news  to  her. 

"Mr.  Darke,  My  Lady,  —  "  he  hesitated  to  put 
the  thing  into  words.  He  could  do  the  thing 
without  a  qualm,  but  to  tell  of  it  was  something 
else.  "Mr.  Darke  —  " 

"Well,  where  is  he?  Find  him,  some  of  you; 
I  must  have  him  here  before  I  say  what  I  have 
to  say." 

The  negroes  looked  at  one  another,  but  no  one 
moved.  Burton  was  obliged  to  speak  further. 

"  He  is  gone,  My  Lady." 

"  Gone !  "  I  had  no  idea  My  Lady  could  be  so 
good  an  actress.  "  Gone  !  Whither,  and  when  ?  " 

"I  cannot  tell,  My  Lady,"  said  the  miscreant, 
cowering  under  the  stern,  inquiring  gaze  she  fixed 
on  him. 

"  Did  not  my  father  give  you  strict  orders  to 
guard  him  with  the  utmost  care,  and  to  use  every 
slave  on  the  plantation,  if  necessary  to  the  pur- 
pose ? " 

"Yes,  My  Lady,  but  —  " 


332 

"Well?" 

"  Indeed,  My  Lady,  it  is  no  fault  of  mine,  but 
I  fear  he  is  dead."  He  blurted  out  the  last  words 
as  though  they  were  forced  from  him. 

"Dead!"  My  Lady  was  terribly  shocked. 
"  You  fear  it,  you  say  ;  do  you  not  know  ?  Why 
was  not  the  order  obeyed  ?  " 

"  Indeed,  My  Lady,  it  was  obeyed  as  well  as 
we  knew  how.  I  think  it  must  have  been  his 
own  fault." 

She  caught  up  the  words  on  the  instant. 

"  That  was  what  you  said  when  he  was  caught 
in  the  quicksand!  You  fear  —  you  think  —  do 
you  not  know  anything  ?  "  she  exclaimed.  "  What 
had  happened  ? " 

He  began  to  stammer,  —  that  man  of  granite 
face  and  iron  will  and  muscle  —  before  her  scorn- 
ful eyes  ! 

"He  —  I  think  —  there  was  —  " 

"  Stop !  Think  what  you  intend  to  say,  and 
then  say  it  plainly,"  she  commanded. 

"  If  you  were  awake  last  night,  My  Lady,"  he 
commenced,  after  he  had  collected  himself,  "  you 
must  have  seen  the  fire." 

"  I  saw  it ;  one  of  the  woodpiles,  was  it  not  ? 
Some  one  must  have  been  grossly  careless  to 
leave  sparks  so  close  to  it.  But  that  is  not  our 
business  now.  I  want  Mr.  Darke." 


The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  333 

"It  was  not  a  woodpile,  My  Lady." 

"  No  ?    What  then  ?  " 

"  It  was  —  a  cabin." 

"  There  is  only  one  cabin  in  that  direction. 
You  do  not  mean  to  say  — " 

"Yes,  My  Lady,  it  was  his."  He  looked  as 
though  he  would  rejoice  to  have  the  earth  sink 
beneath  him.  He  did  not  find  it  as  easy  to 
account  to  her  as  he  had  expected.  Probably  it 
might  have  been  easier  if  she  had  not  pointed  her 
queries  with  an  exact  knowledge  of  the  case. 

"Mr.  Darke's?"  He  nodded.  "And  where 
did  you  lodge  him  afterward?" 

I  congratulated  myself  that  it  was  not  I  that 
had  to  undergo  her  cross-examination.  Her  ap- 
parent ignorance  of  the  truth  made  her  questions 
infinitely  more  searching  and  hard  to  answer. 

"Nowhere,  My  Lady,"  abjectly. 

Her  eyes  flashed.  "You  left  him  without 
shelter  ?  "  she  demanded  indignantly.  He  fairly 
writhed  beneath  her  withering  gaze. 

"  No,  My  Lady ;  he  did  not  need  it.  He  —  he 
—  we  fear  —  " 

"  Go  on !  " 

"  We  are  sure  he  is  dead  !  " 

"Dead?  I  say  it  is  impossible!"  she  cried  in- 
credulously. "  How  could  such  a  thing  happen  ? " 


334  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"The  cabin,  My  Lady.     He  was  in  it." 

"How  do  you  know  that?"  Her  questions 
followed  his  replies  without  giving  him  an  instant 
for  reflection. 

"  I  do  not  know  for  certain,  but  where  else 
should  he  have  been  —  and  we  can  find  no  trace 
of  him  anywhere." 

"  You  have  searched  ?  " 

"  Every  man  on  the  island  has  been  searching 
all  the  morning  without  avail.  I  put  them  at  it 
instead  of  sending  them  to  work." 

"  That  was  well  done,  at  least !  But  perhaps 
he  has  gone  away  ?  " 

"  He  could  not.  The  boats  have  not  been 
touched,  and  there  is  not  a  footprint  on  the  beach 
that  has  been  made  within  two  days,"  he  replied, 
gaining  confidence  as  the  worst  of  the  ordeal 
seemed  to  be  past.  But  she  had  another  bolt  in 
store  for  him. 

"  My  father  gave  orders  that,  although  he  was 
to  be  detained,  no  harm  was  to  come  to  him,  and 
he  made  you  especially  responsible  for  ensuring 
this.  How  could  this  happen,  then,  —  most  of 
all,  without  your  knowledge  ?  Is  this  the  way 
his  orders  have  been  obeyed  ?  If  he  or  I  had  a 
thought  of  such  a  thing,  there  would  have  been 
some  great  changes  in  the  management  of  this 


The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  335 

plantation !     I  will  see  to  it,  for  the  future,  that 
matters  are  otherwise." 

It  was  a  blow  straight  in  the  face. 

"  Indeed,  My  Lady,  we  did  everything  possible  ; 
it  is  no  fault  of  mine,"  he  stammered.  "  He  was 
closely  watched  by  day,  and  the  cabin  guarded  at 
night.  We  did  all  that  men  could  do  to  take  care 
of  him." 

"Who  watched  the  cabin  at  night ? " 

"We  —  we  took  turns  on  guard." 

She  stamped  her  foot  with  angry  impatience. 
"You  know  what  I  mean!  Who  watched  last 
night  ? " 

He  began  to  tremble.  "  I  did,  My  Lady,"  he 
blurted  out,  with  great  effort.  It  was  a  fatal  ad- 
mission, and  I  was  taken  aback  at  his  clumsiness. 

"  You  did  ?  Did  I  not  tell  you  yesterday  to  go 
to  the  house  and  stay  there  ?  " 

"  Yes,  My  Lady." 

Her  voice  took  on  a  fine  ring  of  scorn  and 
anger. 

"  So  you  are  not  content  with  flagrantly  dis- 
obeying my  father's  orders,  but  must  also  run 
counter  to  mine  —  to  the  very  first  I  had  given 
you  since  he  died  ?  This  is  your  boasted  faith- 
fulness, then  !  The  servant  who  will  not  obey 
in  the  lesser  things  will  not  obey  in  the  greater, 


336  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

and  such  a  man  I  will  not  have  about  me  !  What 
excuse  have  you  for  such  a  proceeding  ?  " 

The  man  cowered  like  a  whipped  hound,  so 
that  even  I  felt  sorry  for  his  evident  distress. 

"Because,  My  Lady,  I  had  not  given  orders 
for  any  watch  to  be  set  last  night,  and  I  decided 
to  watch  myself,"  he  groaned. 

"  You  knew  perfectly  well  that  Mr.  Darke  was 
no  longer  to  be  regarded  as  a  prisoner,"  she 
rejoined.  "  You  know  that  my  father's  last  words 
showed  that  he  had  been  mistaken  about  him, 
and  that  Mr.  Darke  was  really  a  friend." 

"  The  Master  was  mistaken  in  that,"  he  mur- 
mured. "  I  know  he  was  an  enemy." 

"  How  do  you  know  it  ? "  she  questioned 
sharply. 

"I  —  I  am  sure  of  it,"  he  answered  weakly. 

"  Sure  of  it ! "  she  repeated,  with  fine  contempt. 
"  Have  you  any  proof  of  such  an  assertion  ?  Do 
you  pretend  to  know  better  than  the  Master?" 

"No,  My  Lady."  He  seemed  to  quiver  all 
over. 

"  I  say  he  is  a  friend  —  a  good  friend  —  better 
than  any  of  you  could  have  imagined.  He  was  a 
noble  gentleman,  persecuted  and  suffering  from 
a  terrible  mistake ;  and  he  bore  his  hardships 
like  a  soldier,  and  forgave  them  like  a  gentleman. 


The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  337 

He  was  not  to  blame  in  any  way.  The  fault  was 
wholly  ours ;  it  has  been  my  intention  to  make 
what  apology  and  reparation  I  could,  ever  since 
I  learned  the  truth ;  and  my  father  would  have 
seconded  me  with  all  his  power,  if  he  had  lived. 
Do  you  all  understand  this,  or  shall  I  repeat  it  ? " 

I  vow  that  my  very  ears  tingled  at  her  declara- 
tion. It  would  have  made  me  glad  and  proud 
at  any  time  even  to  know  that  she  could  say 
such  a  thing  if  I  had  been  really  dead,  or  if  she 
had  supposed  me  so ;  but  when  she  knew  me  to 
be  almost  within  arm's  length  of  her,  the  speech 
seemed  to  be  addressed  to  me  rather  than  to 
them. 

There  was  a  hoarse  murmur  among  the  crowd, 
which  finally  resolved  itself  into  a  common  decla- 
ration of  comprehension  on  their  part. 

"Very  good,"  she  proceeded.  "I  want  that  to 
be  thoroughly  understood,  both  now  and  here- 
after." They  could  not  see  the  significance  of 
the  declaration,  but  I  could.  "  But  your  excuse 
is  a  lame  one,  Burton.  Even  if  no  watch  had 
been  ordered,  and  you  thought  one  necessary, 
why  did  you  not  send  one  of  the  negroes  ? " 

"I  —  they  are  apt  to  be  careless,  My  Lady, 
and  I  thought  I  could  keep  better  guard  than 
they  would." 


338  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  So  you  took  such  excellent  care  that  you 
allowed  the  cabin  to  burn  down,  while  the  man 
who  was  confided  to  your  care  —  our  now  honored 
guest,  one  to  whom  we  owed  more  than  you 
know  —  was  asleep  in  it!  "  she  said,  with  stinging 
sarcasm.  "Why  did  you  not  discover  the  fire 
sooner  ?  On  my  soul,  I  begin  to  believe  that 
you  were  willing  to  let  him  die  —  if  you  did  not 
actually  cause  the  fire  yourself.  Did  you  ? "  she 
demanded  sharply. 

I  began  to  fear  she  might  overdo  her  appear- 
ance of  ignorance  of  the  facts.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  such  questions  must  rouse  a  suspicion  in 
his  mind  ;  but  he  was  so  absolutely  sure  of  his 
ground  that  it  never  occurred  to  him. 

The  miserable  wretch  saw  her  coming  close 
to  the  truth,  though  he  supposed  it  only  a  good 
guess.  But  his  guilty  conscience  helped  to  terrify 
him ;  he  had  tied  his  own  hands  by  his  previous 
declarations  and  admissions ;  the  tissue  of  lies 
that  he  had  told  was  being  twisted  into  a  rope 
that  was  winding  round  and  round  him,  ever 
tighter.  He  would  risk  anything  rather  than 
let  the  truth  be  known  —  to  her. 

"  No,  no,  My  Lady ! "  he  cried,  falling  on  his 
knees.  The  line  of  negroes  around  him  gasped 
and  stared  with  open  mouths,  as  they  saw  their 


The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  339 

overseer,  more  the  friend  and  equal  than  the 
servant  of  the  dead  Master,  thus  humbling  him- 
self. They  did  not  understand  what  lay  behind 
all  this,  but  they  knew  it  must  be  something  fear- 
ful to  bring  this  man  to  his  knees.  "  No,  no ;  I 
swear  to  God  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  it !  "  He 
gazed  at  her  with  abject  appeal,  beseeching  her 
to  believe  him. 

My  Lady  looked  down  at  him  almost  with  pity. 
"  Do  you  dare  to  take  such  an  oath  ?  Do  you 
dare?"  she  asked  solemnly.  She  seemed  hardly 
able  to  believe  her  ears. 

"  Indeed,  yes  !  "  he  cried  eagerly.  "  I  hated 
him,  I  confess,  but  I  swear  I  never  tried  to  harm 
him !  If  he  could  only  come  back  from  the 
dead,  he  would  tell  you  the  same !  " 

It  seemed  to  him  a  safe  enough  appeal  to  make, 
and,  despite  my  abhorrence  at  his  wholesale  per- 
jury, I  laughed  to  myself  at  the  thought  of  what 
he  would  have  to  say  when  I  appeared.  But  I 
had  no  idea  how  soon  my  resurrection  was  to 
come.  My  Lady,  however,  grasped  the  situation 
instantly,  and  her  voice  must  have  sounded  to 
him  like  the  trump  of  doom. 

"  You  dare  to  appeal  to  the  dead  to  appear  and 
testify  for  you  ?  Then  the  dead  shall  rise  and 
speak ! " 


34O  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

She  took  three  steps  to  the  window,  and,  tear- 
ing the  curtains  apart,  she  pointed  where  she 
knew  I  would  be  standing,  though  she  kept  her 
eyes  fixed  on  him. 

"Here  is  a  witness  from  the  dead ! "  she  cried 
impressively.  "  Shall  he  tell  what  he  knows  ?  " 

I  stepped  through  the  window  on  to  the  porch, 
and  we  stood  side  by  side  between  the  pillars. 


XIX 

EVEN   AS   KORAH 

MY  LADY  had  expected  to  create  a  sensation, 
but  neither  of  us  was  prepared  for  the  effect  of 
my  sudden  appearance  on  the  scene. 

There  was  a  wild  shout  of  amazement  and  ter- 
ror, and  in  an  instant  every  human  being  on  the 
lawn,  except  one,  turned  as  if  to  flee,  and  yet  re- 
mained rooted  there,  staring  at  me  in  a  fearful 
fascination.  The  sole  exception  was  Burton,  whose 
jaw  dropped,  while  his  eyes  dilated  with  an  awful 
dread.  For  a  moment  he  stood  so ;  then  a  sort  of 
froth  came  upon  his  open  lips,  and  with  a  fright- 
ful, despairing  cry  of  "  Mr.  Edward !  "  he  fell  for- 
ward on  his  face,  mercifully  insensible  for  the  time. 

We  gazed  at  one  another  in  wonder,  unable  at 
first  to  account  for  such  a  stupendous  effect,  until 
suddenly  the  solution  flashed  on  us  both  simulta- 
neously. My  Lady  had  intended  to  make  her  im- 
pression by  calling  Allan  Darke  from  his  supposed 
grave.  The  flaw  in  the  plan  lay  in  the  alteration 
in  my  appearance  made  by  the  razor  and  the 


342  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

change  of  clothing;  and  this  alteration  both  of 
us  had  forgotten  to  reckon  with.  All  the  house 
servants  were  familiar  with  the  portrait,  and  all 
the  older  negroes  remembered  the  Master  in  his 
younger  days.  Burton,  of  course,  recognized  the 
likeness  immediately,  and  it  was  too  much  for 
even  his  iron  nerves.  If  My  Lady,  who  knew  of 
my  living  presence,  had  received  such  a  shock  at 
first  seeing  me,  how  much  greater  must  have  been 
the  effect  on  the  others,  who  supposed  I  was  as 
certainly  dead  as  was  the  Master.  But,  for  the 
moment,  my  own  personality  was  eliminated  from 
the  question  ;  no  one  thought  of  me  —  why  should 
they  ?  To  them  I  was  the  Master,  risen  from  the 
dead,  rejuvenated,  to  punish  the  wrong-doers  who 
had  violated  his  commands. 

The  panic  might  even  yet  have  carried  them 
away  in  flight,  had  they  not  been  restrained  by  a 
voice  that  they  were  accustomed  to  obey  without 
questioning. 

"  Stop  !  "  cried  My  Lady,  imperatively.  "  Stay 
where  you  are ;  no  harm  shall  come  to  you !  " 

Somewhat  reassured,  they  turned  again  to  face 
us,  though  there  was  craven  fear  depicted  on 
many  a  countenance,  and  a  very  slight  provoca- 
tion would  have  sent  the  whole  cowardly  crew 
flying  in  a  wild  panic.  They  believed  My  Lady 


Even  as  Korah  343 

would  protect  them  as  far  as  she  could ;  but  how 
far  did  her  power  extend  ?  Could  the  living  stand 
against  the  dead  who  had  returned  to  life  ? 

"What  shall  we  do  about  Burton  ?  "  I  whispered, 
turning  to  My  Lady. 

"  Let  him  lie  there  until  he  recovers,"  she  re- 
plied, with  a  cruel  fierceness  that  I  had  not 
expected  from  her.  "  It  will  not  be  long ;  there 
is  too  much  to  bring  him  back  to  life !  Numa,  get 
some  water,  and  throw  it  on  —  that  thing !  " 

He  brought  it,  and  dashed  it  over  the  prostrate 
man,  still  keeping  a  timid  watch  on  my  motionless 
figure.  I  believe  if  I  had  made  the  slightest  move- 
ment, he  would  have  dropped  the  water  and  fled 
helplessly. 

The  breathless  crowd  stood  still.  Their  eyes 
were  all  upon  me;  My  Lady's  and  mine  were 
upon  Burton  ;  and  we  all  waited. 

In  a  very  few  minutes  he  began  to  recover.  He 
sat  up,  and  leaned  heavily  upon  one  arm,  while 
his  dazed  eyes  travelled  around  the  circle  of  those 
who  stood  near  him.  He  seemed  to  be  trying  to 
recollect  what  had  happened.  From  them  his 
gaze  shifted  to  the  porch  where  we  stood  —  and 
then  memory  returned.  With  a  weak  cry  of  hor- 
ror he  began  to  creep  backward,  not  trying  to  rise, 
but  dragging  himself  upon  one  arm,  while  his  star- 


344  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

ing  eyes  never  left  my  face.  He  was  incapable  of 
a  single  thought  but  that  he  must  retreat  beyond 
the  range  of  my  accusing  vision. 

"  Stop  !  "  commanded  My  Lady.  "  You  cannot 
escape."  She  fixed  a  stern  gaze  on  him.  "  You 
called  a  witness  from  the  dead  to  justify  you,"  she 
said  slowly.  "  Will  you  speak  the  truth,  or  shall 
he  tell  what  he  knows  ? " 

"  No,  no  !  "  cried  the  grovelling  wretch.  "  I  will 
confess.  I  will  confess  all !  Oh,  Mr.  Edward !  " 
His  voice  became  a  wail  of  grief  and  agony. 
"  Pardon  !  Mercy !  " 

"Speak  the  truth,  then  —  the  truth!"  com- 
manded the  accusing  voice. 

"  I  will  confess.    I  did  it !    You  know !    Pardon ! " 

I  let  no  change  come  over  my  features,  but 
waited  for  My  Lady  to  speak. 

"  What  did  you  do  ?" 

"  I  killed  him  —  Allan  Darke  !  He  came  to  drag 
us  back  to  imprisonment  and  disgrace.  I  killed 
him !  I  tied  him  fast,  and  set  fire  to  the  cabin." 

The  listening  crowd  drew  long  breaths  of  horror. 

"  Those  previous  attempts  on  his  life  that  he 
told  of  —  did  you  make  them  ? " 

"  It  is  true !  I  tried  many  times  to  kill  him,  but 
each  time  he  escaped  —  I  do  not  know  how.  He 
seemed  to  have  a  charmed  life,  but  the  last  time 
I  succeeded." 


Even  as  Korah  345 

"  What  other  crime  did  you  commit  ? " 

"What  other?"  He  seemed  bewildered.  He 
had  really  forgotten  the  older  crime  in  the  events 
that  the  new  one  had  brought. 

"  That  old  one,  thirty  years  ago !  " 

"Thirty  years  ago  I  killed  Harold  Darke,  his 
uncle.  I  did  it,  and  let  you  be  accused  of  it.  Par- 
don, Mr.  Edward,  pardon,"  he  wailed. 

The  confession  seemed  sufficiently  complete ;  he 
had  owned  to  the  main  facts,  and  the  details  were 
not  necessary,  since  My  Lady  and  I  both  knew 
them.  My  Lady  glanced  at  me  uncertainly,  and 
I  took  the  glance  as  a  hint  for  me  to  speak.  What 
I  said  was  boyish,  foolish ;  perhaps  the  nervous 
tension  under  which  I  had  lived  so  long  was  partly 
responsible  for  it.  Certainly  I  repented  deeply 
enough  for  the  way  in  which  I  spoke. 

"  Thank  you,  Burton,"  I  said  ironically.  "  You 
have  told  us  quite  sufficient  for  the  present  pur- 
pose. But  it  is  only  fair  you  should  know  that 
not  only  I,  but  My  Lady  also,  heard  your  very 
complete  confession  in  my  cabin  last  night." 

I  could  not  help  the  taunt.  I  had  thought  to 
overwhelm  him  with  this  new  knowledge,  but  it 
was  a  monstrous  mistake  for  me  to  speak  at  all 
(though  neither  of  us  could  possibly  have  known 
that  at  the  time).  While  I  had  kept  silence  he  had 


346  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

never  thought  but  that  I  was  the  Master  miracu- 
lously risen  to  accuse  him.  But  if  he  remembered 
the  Master's  face  so  well,  he  remembered  his  voice 
also  —  and  he  remembered  mine,  with  the  accurate 
observation  of  deadly  hatred.  I  saw  the  dawning 
light  of  recognition  come  into  his  staring  eyes,  and 
as  I  finished  speaking  he  sprang  to  his  feet  with  a 
cry  of  rage,  all  his  faculties  and  his  strength  re- 
stored in  a  moment.  The  supernatural  appalled 
him,  but  the  real  made  him  a  maniac. 

"  You  / "  he  shouted,  as  he  regained  his  feet, 
and  ran  toward  the  steps. 

With  a  swift  spring  My  Lady  threw  herself  in 
front  of  me.  There  was  the  sharp  report  of  a 
pistol,  and  My  Lady  fell  backward  into  my  arms. 
As  I  laid  her  softly  down,  oblivious  of  all  else,  I 
saw  blood  flowing  from  her  shoulder. 

"  Oh,  My  Lady  !  "  I  cried,  in  agony.  "  This  for 
me!" 

She  was  very  white,  and  for  a  moment  was  near 
fainting,  but  she  smiled  reassuringly. 

"  It  is  nothing !  I  am  not  much  hurt.  Take 
care ;  he  may  try  again  !  "  She  tried  to  turn  me 
to  face  him. 

I  began  cutting  the  sleeve  open  to  get  at  the 
wound. 

She    submitted    docilely.      I    found  the    place 


Even  as  Korah  347 

where  the  ball  had  gone  right  through  the  fleshy 
part  of  her  shoulder,  and  used  my  handkerchief 
—  one  of  the  Master's  —  for  a  temporary  bandage. 
I  was  testing  to  see  if  the  bone  was  hurt,  when 
she  spoke  again. 

"I  tell  you  it  is  nothing!  See!"  She  moved 
the  arm  freely  up  and  down,  to  my  infinite  relief. 
I  knew  enough  about  such  matters  to  be  able  to 
attend  to  a  simple  flesh  wound  as  well  as  any 
doctor,  but  a  smashed  bone  was  beyond  my  ken. 
My  Lady  turned  her  head. 

"  Oh,  see  there ! "  she  cried,  and  struggled  to 
her  feet. 

The  negroes  had  been  spellbound  by  my  appear- 
ance, even  while  I  spoke  to  Burton.  They  did 
not  at  once  recognize  the  voice  as  mine,  and  the 
influence  of  my  mysterious  appearance  remained 
with  them  so  far.  But  when  Burton  fired  and 
My  Lady  fell,  the  spell  was  broken  ;  the  shot  set 
every  one  in  motion.  They  had  loved  the  Master, 
but  they  idolized  My  Lady.  In  her  cause,  or  to 
avenge  her,  they  would  have  charged  into  a  den 
of  lions,  every  man  himself  a  lion. 

As  though  moved  by  a  single  impulse,  every 
man,  and  most  of  the  women,  cast  themselves 
upon  the  would-be  murderer ;  even  Theodore 
threw  his  single  hand  into  the  fray.  Beneath 


348  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

the  weight  of  the  sudden  onslaught  Burton  had 
gone  heavily  to  the  ground,  but  not  tamely.  As 
My  Lady  cried  out  to  me,  the  great  heap  of  strug- 
gling humanity  parted  with  a  mighty  heave,  and 
in  the  midst  appeared  Burton's  powerful  figure 
dealing  fearful  blows  in  all  directions.  A  moment 
sufficed  to  free  him  from  most  of  his  assailants; 
before  his  sudden  dash  the  crowd  parted  like  turf 
before  the  plough.  He  was  free,  running  like  a 
deer  eastward  toward  the  seashore,  with  never  a 
backward  glance  at  the  foes  at  his  heels.  In  spite 
of  the  punishment  his  giant  strength  had  inflicted, 
a  dozen  of  the  stoutest  negroes  set  off  instantly  in 
pursuit  of  him,  though  apparently  hopelessly  dis- 
tanced from  the  start. 

I  turned  to  My  Lady,  who  was  so  absorbed  in 
the  spectacle  that  her  wound  was  forgotten. 

"  Go  into  the  house,  My  Lady,  and  rest  until  I 
return ;  then  I  will  dress  the  wound  properly." 
I  turned  again  to  the  late  combatants,  who  were 
investigating  their  cuts  and  bruises,  which  were 
many,  and  looking  somewhat  dazed  —  as  well 
they  might — by  the  suddenness  with  which  one 
event  had  followed  another.  They  had  probably 
experienced  more  strange  excitements  during  the 
last  hour  than  in  all  their  lives  before. 

"  Catch  me  a  horse,  one  of  you !  "  I  cried.    "  Do 


Even  as  Korah  349 

it  quickly.  Never  mind  the  saddle ;  a  rope  around 
the  jaw  will  serve.  Hurry !  " 

My  Lady  came  closer  to  me. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ? "  she  asked  anx- 
iously. 

"  Follow  them !  "  I  replied,  pointing  to  the 
figures  flying  seaward,  fast  becoming  mere  specks 
in  the  distance. 

"  You  must  not !  It  is  too  dangerous ! "  she 
cried. 

"  That  is  why  I  must  go  —  to  assist  them !  " 

My  Lady  came  close  to  me,  and  laid  her  un- 
wounded  arm  across  my  shoulders.  "  Do  not  go 
—  Allan  ! "  she  pleaded,  maiden  fear  and  shyness 
swallowed  up  by  anxiety. 

Who  would  not  have  been  sorely  tempted  ?  I 
was  no  more  than  mortal.  Very  tenderly  I  put 
my  arms  about  her  and  kissed  the  cheek  that  was 
so  close  to  mine.  She  made  no  resistance,  did 
not  even  color,  but  went  on  as  though  I  had  done 
something  perfectly  natural  and  usual. 

"  He  is  armed !  " 

"  So  am  I !  "  I  answered  grimly.  I  meant  to 
use  my  weapon  to  good  purpose  when  the  time 
came.  I  had  been  willing  to  overlook  my  own 
grudge  against  him  for  My  Lady's  sake,  but  I 
could  not  forgive  this  injury  to  her,  even  though 


350  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

the  bullet  had  been  intended  for  me.  "  I  am 
armed,  but  the  others  are  not.  You  see  I  must 
go,  sweetheart."  I  kissed  her  again,  it  might  be 
the  last  time,  I  thought  to  myself,  for  Burton  was 
now  doubly  dangerous  since  he  had  been  un- 
masked, and  had  nothing  more  to  lose  —  or  to 
live  for,  as  it  seemed  to  me. 

"  Good-by,  Marjorie !  "  I  released  her,  and 
sprang  down  the  steps,  not  daring  to  look  back, 
lest  I  should  be  too  strongly  drawn  to  return  to 
her.  I  had  a  task  before  me  that  was  hateful, 
but  I  was  all  aglow  with  happiness.  In  one  so 
proud  and  distant  as  My  Lady,  her  meek  sub- 
mission to  that  caress  meant  much,  very  much ; 
if  she  did  not  yet  love  me,  she  could  not  be  far 
from  it. 

Therefore  I  rode  seaward  in  pursuit  of  mine 
enemy  as  gayly  as  a  lover  to  meet  his  lass.  The 
horse  that  bore  me  was  a  fine  one,  and  the  thunder 
of  his  hoofs  on  the  hard  road  made  sweet  music. 
It  was  the  first  time  I  had  crossed  a  horse  since  I 
left  Cape  May,  some  six  months  ago.  The  swift 
rush  of  the  wind  brought  a  wild  exhilaration,  and 
as  we  neared  the  sea  I  believed  that  I  could  ride 
out  on  its  heaving  surface,  so  ethereal  did  I  feel. 
Presently  the  roar  of  the  surf  was  in  my  ears, 
and  I  was  riding  up  the  beach. 


Even  as  Korah  351 

A  mile  or  so  above  me  I  could  see  a  solitary 
figure,  and  far  beyond  that  a  dark  spot  that 
denoted  a  group  of  men.  As  I  sped  along,  I 
made  out  that  the  lone  man  was  running  toward 
me,  and  as  we  neared  one  another  he  threw  up 
his  arms  and  shouted  wildly.  It  was  Theodore, 
the  strongest,  the  best,  the  most  sensible  of  the 
slaves. 

I  stopped  my  horse  close  to  him.  "  What  is 
it?"  I  cried. 

"  A  rope  !  "  he  panted. 

"  A  rope  ?  To  tie  him  ?  Have  you  caught  him, 
then  ? " 

"  No,  but  he  is  caught  —  in  the  quicksand !  " 

Amazement  dumfounded  me  for  a  moment.  I 
knew  how  well  he  was  acquainted  with  the  place. 

"  The  rope  is  needed  to  pull  him  out  ?  "  I  de- 
manded. 

"  Yes ;  quickly,  too,  or  it  will  be  too  late !  " 

"  Go  back  there,"  I  said  hurriedly.  "  Get  logs, 
rails,  anything  that  might  float,  and  throw  them  to 
him.  I  will  fetch  a  rope."  I  knew  they  could 
throw  him  nothing  that  would  support  him  for 
any  length  of  time,  but  I  fancied  that  perhaps 
such  things  might  serve  to  uphold  him  for  a  little 
while. 

I  had  come  fast  from  the  house,  but  the  speed 


352  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

was  slow  compared  with  what  I  reached  in  return- 
ing. At  the  sound  of  the  hurrying  hoofs  one  of 
the  maids  ran  out  in  alarm,  and  I  reined  up  for 
a  moment. 

"  Tell  My  Lady  not  to  be  alarmed ;  everything 
goes  well !  "  I  cried,  for  I  knew  my  wild  pace 
would  excite  apprehension. 

It  was  no  great  distance  to  the  barn,  where  I 
knew  a  supply  of  rope  was  kept.  I  leaped  from 
the  horse,  and  dashed  into  the  building  and  out 
again  with  a  coil  that  I  knew  would  be  ample  for 
the  purpose.  As  I  neared  the  house  again  I  saw 
My  Lady  on  the  porch,  watching  me  anxiously ; 
and  though  time  was  too  precious  to  allow  me 
to  reassure  her  by  stopping  to  explain  matters,  I 
held  up  the  coil  for  her  to  see  as  I  passed,  and 
shouted,  — 

"  No  danger !  " 

Looking  back,  I  saw  her  wave  her  hand  as  she 
turned  toward  the  door. 

Those  miles  at  racing  speed  told  heavily  on  the 
horse.  Before  we  reached  the  sea  for  the  second 
time  he  was  panting  violently ;  foam  gathered  on 
his  jaw  and  dripped  from  his  haunches,  and  when 
we  turned  up  the  beach  his  pace  slackened,  willing 
beast  though  he  was.  But  there  was  a  good  two- 
mile  run  before  him  yet,  and  it  was  no  time  to 


Even  as  Korah  353 

spare  horseflesh ;  with  voice  and  blows  I  urged 
him  on  until  the  miles,  interminable  as  they 
seemed,  were  covered,  and  I  dropped  to  the 
ground  on  the  edge  of  the  quicksand. 

I  had  been  making  a  running  noose  on  the  end 
of  the  rope  while  we  toiled  up  the  beach,  and  when 
I  sprang  to  the  ground  the  coil  was  all  ready  to  cast. 
I  paused  a  moment  to  take  a  survey  of  the  situation. 

Burton  was  in  the  very  centre  of  the  treacher- 
ous area,  so  far  from  the  edge  that,  knowing  its 
nature  as  he  did,  he  could  only  have  come  there  by 
deliberate  intention.  He  was  already  sunk  more 
deeply  than  I  had  been  when  My  Lady  cast  her 
anchor  line  to  me,  but  I  anticipated  little  difficulty 
in  extricating  him.  My  Lady  alone  had  been  able 
to  save  me,  and  here  we  had  a  dozen  strong  men. 

He  stood  perfectly  motionless,  with  folded  arms, 
glaring  fiercely  at  his  late  pursuers,  who  were  run- 
ning wildly  about  the  edge  calling  all  sorts  of  in- 
structions to  him.  He  was  by  far  the  calmest  of 
all  the  crowd.  Around  him  in  all  directions  lay 
pieces  of  driftwood,  a  few  fence-rails  that  they 
must  have  brought  from  considerable  distances, 
some  myrtle  bushes  that  they  had  dug  up  with 
their  bare  hands  from  the  top  of  the  dunes,  where 
they  grew  thickly  in  spots ;  even  small  twigs  had 
been  cast  to  him.  They  had  flung  everything  they 

2A 


354  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

could  lay  their  hands  on,  without  discrimination. 
I  noticed  that  most  of  the  things  near  him  were 
piled  up  in  small  heaps,  laid  so  regularly  as  to  pre- 
clude the  supposition  that  they  could  have  fallen 
so.  The  negroes  told  me  afterward  that  he  had 
seized  and  piled  up  everything  that  fell  within  his 
reach,  though  at  the  time  they  could  not  imagine 
his  object. 

I  bade  the  negroes  hold  the  end  of  the  rope  and 
prepare  to  pull,  while  I  cast  the  noose  to  him.  It 
was  a  long  throw,  and  the  noose  fell  short ;  I  gath- 
ered it  up  and  threw  again,  and  this  time  it  fell  close 
to  him.  I  was  mindful  of  My  Lady's  directions  to 
me  in  a  similar  case. 

"  Put  the  noose  beneath  your  arms  !  "  I  cried. 

He  stretched  out  his  hand  to  it  and  held  it  for  a 
moment  while  he  glared  at  me. 

"  Fasten  it  beneath  your  arms  !  "  I  cried  again, 
thinking  he  had  not  understood  me,  or  was  too 
dazed  to  comprehend  my  meaning. 

He  raised  his  arm  and  threw  the  rope  far  away 
with  a  bitter  curse. 

"  Damn  you  !  "  he  cried.  "  Shall  I  never  be  free 
of  you  ? " 

His  hand  went  to  his  pocket,  and  I  saw  the  flash 
of  the  sun  on  the  steel  barrel  of  a  pistol.  Before 
I  could  move  he  levelled  it  at  me  and  pulled  the 


Even  as  KoraJi  355 

trigger.  There  was  a  shower  of  sparks  as  the  flint 
struck,  but  no  report  followed ;  the  bullet  from  it 
had  already  struck  My  Lady,  and  he  had  forgotten 
that  the  barrel  was  empty. 

"  So  !  Even  that  fails  me  at  the  last !  "  he 
sneered. 

He  caught  it  by  the  barrel,  and  the  next  minute 
it  came  flying  at  me,  impelled  by  all  the  force  of 
an  arm  always  abnormally  powerful,  and  now 
strengthened  by  hate  to  a  supreme  effort.  I 
dodged,  but  not  quick  enough  to  escape  scot-free ; 
the  whirling  missile  touched  my  head,  hard  enough 
to  cut  the  scalp,  but  doing  no  serious  damage.  He 
raised  a  savage  scream  as  he  saw  the  blood  flow. 

"  At  last ! "  he  cried  triumphantly,  with  a  mad 
laugh. 

"  Not  yet,"  I  answered,  recovering  myself. 
"  Don't  be  a  fool,  man ;  I  am  trying  to  save  you ! 
Catch  the  rope  and  keep  it  this  time,"  and  I  cast 
it  again  close  to  him. 

He  seized  it  and  gave  it  a  powerful  jerk  that 
nearly  tore  it  from  the  hands  of  the  unsuspecting 
negroes. 

"  I  nearly  had  it  that  time,"  he  laughed  shrilly, 
and  again  he  cast  it  from  him,  making  it  only  too 
plain  that  he  would  not  be  saved  by  his  own  will. 

I  saw  that  the  man  was  mad  and  determined  on 


3 56  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

suicide ;  if  he  was  to  be  saved,  it  must  be  in  spite 
of  himself.  Whispering  to  the  negroes  to  pull 
quickly  when  the  noose  caught,  I  gathered  up 
more  of  the  rope  and  extended  the  noose  widely, 
hoping  that  it  might  fall  over  him ;  and  after  sev- 
eral vain  attempts  I  saw  it  settle  loosely  around  him. 

"  Pull !  "  I  shouted. 

If  the  man  was  mad,  he  had  not  lost  all  his  rea- 
soning powers.  Before  the  negroes,  quickly  as 
they  responded  to  my  cry,  could  tighten  the  noose 
around  him,  he  had  seized  it,  shifted  it  to  his  neck, 
and  drawn  it  close,  so  that  it  was  impossible  for  us 
either  to  recover  it  or  to  tighten  it  without  stran- 
gling him. 

"  Now,  curse  you,  pull  if  you  choose  !  "  he  jeered. 

We  were  helpless.  He  was  sunk  nearly  to  his 
shoulders  by  this  time,  and  even  with  his  aid  it  was 
most  unlikely  that  we  could  have  rescued  him. 
With  his  neck  encircled  by  the  noose,  which  we 
dared  not  pull,  he  was  our  master,  and  he  had  his 
own  way  at  the  last.  Standing  like  statues,  we 
watched  him  sink,  inch  by  inch,  until  the  creeping 
sand  touched  his  chin ;  then  I  could  stand  it  no 
longer,  and,  turning  my  face  away,  I  stood  horror- 
struck,  waiting  for  the  end,  knowing  that  it  must 
be  all  over  in  five  minutes  more.  Presently  there 
came  a  sort  of  spluttering  sound,  and  a  gasp  from 


Even  as  Korah  357 

the  negroes,  who  had  been  fascinated  by  the  trag- 
edy happening  before  their  eyes.  I  clapped  both 
hands  to  my  ears  to  shut  out  the  sound  ;  and 
presently,  when  I  dared  to  remove  them,  there  was 
silence. 

I  looked  at  the  quicksand  and  turned  away 
shuddering.  At  the  very  surface  of  the  sand,  two 
maniac  eyes  glared  hatred  and  defiance  at  me,  all 
unconscious  as  they  were.  Fearless  and  unrepent- 
ant he  had  lived,  and  in  like  manner  he  died. 

I  heard  some  of  the  negroes,  overcome  by  the 
horror  of  it,  fall  on  their  knees  and  begin  to  pray 
—  not  for  him,  but  for  themselves.  Presently 
Theodore  touched  my  arm.  He  was  trembling 
violently,  and  his  face,  like  the  faces  of  the  rest, 
had  become  of  that  dark  ashen-gray  color  that  in 
a  negro  denotes  paleness. 

"  Marse  Allan,  shall  we  pull  him  out  now  ?  "  he 
whispered. 

It  was  terrible  to  look  at  the  sand  again, 
but  it  had  to  be  done.  To  my  infinite  relief, 
the  surface  was  as  placid  as  it  had  ever  been. 
//  was  gone ;  even  the  bushes  and  driftwood  had 
disappeared.  A  few  feet  of  rope,  which  some  of 
the  negroes  still  clung  to,  was  all  that  remained 
to  testify  that  a  life  had  just  gone  down  into  those 
depths  before  our  eyes. 


358  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  Shall  we  pull  him  out?  "  repeated  Theodore. 

"  No,"  I  answered.  "  It  cannot  be  done.  We 
might  tear  him  to  pieces,  but  we  could  never 
bring  him  to  the  surface  now." 

"  But  the  rope  ?  " 

"  Fling  it  into  the  quicksand  !  "  I  said,  shivering. 

We  watched  it  slowly  sink,  the  last  trace  of  the 
madman  and  of  our  unavailing  effort  to  save  him  ; 
and  then  we  walked  slowly  away,  and  left  him  in 
the  grave  he  had  chosen. 


XX 

THE   HAVEN   WHERE   I   WOULD   BE 

IF  I  had  not  reassured  her  when  I  rode  away, 
my  long  absence  would  have  made  My  Lady 
anxious ;  as  it  was,  she  had  so  much  confi- 
dence in  my  statement  that  she  returned  quietly 
to  her  room  and  stayed  there.  Consequently, 
when  our  party  reached  the  house,  I  was  met 
by  a  maid  with  inquiries  from  My  Lady.  I 
told  her  to  say  that  Burton  was  dead  by  his 
own  act  without  doing  further  harm.  Would 
My  Lady  see  me  ?  My  Lady  begged  to  be 
excused  for  this  afternoon ;  her  wound  had  been 
dressed  by  the  maid,  and  she  was  resting.  She 
would  prefer  not  to  come  down-stairs  again  to- 
day. Would  Mr.  Darke  consider  the  house  and 
its  contents  as  his  own,  and  use  them  accord- 
ingly? Mr.  Darke  would  and  did  —  except  the 
one  thing  among  the  contents  of  the  house  that 
he  longed  most  to  see.  But  it  would  have  been 
worse  than  discourteous  to  insist  on  seeing  her. 

I  had  the  wound  in  my  head  dressed,  and  bound 
359 


360  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

up  with  a  handkerchief,  and  a  very  piratical-look- 
ing craft  I  must  have  appeared.  The  servants 
eyed  me  curiously ;  they  knew  my  former  be- 
whiskered  visage  and  my  tattered  raiment  well 
enough,  but  this  smooth-faced  gentleman,  made 
in  the  likeness  of  the  Master's  portrait,  wearing 
the  Master's  clothes,  and  treated  as  an  honored 
guest  and  trusted  friend  in  the  house  of  his 
quondam  enemies,  was  a  stranger  to  them  in  more 
ways  than  one.  They  did  not  yet  know  of  the 
relationship  between  us,  or  they  would  have  won- 
dered still  more. 

What  an  afternoon  it  was  !  I  felt  centuries  older 
than  I  had  been  yesterday ;  the  lives  and  deaths 
of  a  half-dozen  people  had  been  passed  in  review 
before  me  in  that  short  time,  and  the  little  island 
world  had  been  turned  topsy-turvy.  Even  I,  who 
held  the  key  to  the  whole  situation,  felt  giddy 
from  the  swift  rush  of  events ;  how  much  more 
must  it  affect  the  slaves,  who  could  only  surmise 
vaguely. 

I  could  not  rid  myself  of  the  feeling  of  excited 
tension  that  had  held  me  in  its  grip  so  long.  I 
was  constantly  looking  for  some  further  develop- 
ment, some  new  danger  to  be  faced,  and  would 
have  welcomed  it  for  the  chance  it  might  give  of 
working  off  the  nervous  state  of  strained  expecta- 


The  Haven  where  I  would  be  361 

tion  that  troubled  me.  It  seemed  impossible  that 
all  these  things  could  have  been  accomplished 
already. 

The  hours  wore  away.  I  wandered  aimlessly 
about  the  grounds;  I  was  seized  with  a  mighty 
restlessness,  and  could  settle  to  nothing.  The 
one  thing  that  I  wanted  I  could  not  have.  One 
of  the  slaves,  seeing  my  unrest,  mixed  a  great 
bowl  of  bombo,  and  set  it  beside  me  in  the  hall, 
during  one  of  my  few  quiet  moments.  I  tried  it, 
and  found  it  excellent  of  its  kind,  though  doubtless 
my  long  abstinence  from  all  liquors  made  it 
doubly  grateful ;  but  not  even  that  and  a  pipe 
sufficed  to  solace  me. 

Still,  however  impatiently  I  might  drag  through 
the  long  hours,  they  did  pass  somehow.  Sunset 
was  long  past,  and  the  darkness  was  gathering 
rapidly,  when  I  strolled  out  again  among  the  trees 
to  smoke  my  pipe  in  the  open  air.  Beneath  the 
trees  the  shadows  were  deeper,  and  I  could  barely 
see  my  way. 

A  light  sound,  like  the  snap  of  a  twig,  not  far 
away,  caused  me  to  turn  in  time  to  see  a  white-clad 
figure  gliding  rapidly  off  to  the  right,  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  house.  Even  in  the  darkness,  there 
was  something  familiar  about  the  carriage  of  it.  I 
dropped  the  pipe,  and  my  foot  crushed  it  into  a 


362  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

dozen  pieces  as  I  sprang  forward  in  chase  of  the 
hurrying  form,  and  caught  up  with  it  at  the  edge 
of  the  grove. 

"  Ah,  My  Lady,  do  not  fly  from  me  now !  If 
you  only  knew  how  I  have  been  longing  to  see 
you!"  ^ 

She  saw  that  she  was  recognized,  and  stopped. 

"  I  did  not  intend  to  meet  you  again  until  to- 
morrow," she  murmured.  "  I  thought  you  were 
in  the  house,  so  I  slipped  out  by  one  of  the  side 
windows,  not  thinking  you  would  find  me  here." 

"  I  am  sorry  you  should  think  it  necessary  to 
avoid  me,"  I  said,  somewhat  hurt;  "and  if  my 
presence  causes  you  annoyance,  I  will  leave  you." 

"  Oh,  no,"  she  replied  quickly.  "  It  is  not  that ; 
only  —  "  she  hesitated,  and  I  caught  up  the  word. 

"  Then  let  there  be  no  '  only,'  "  I  said.  "  Surely, 
if  you  could  come  out  to  sit  here  alone,  there  is  no 
reason  why  you  should  not  stay  for  a  time  with 
me." 

She  moved  uneasily,  seeming  at  a  loss  what  to 
say. 

"  You  know  that  sooner  or  later  we  must  have 
an  explanation  of  certain  things,  and  make  some 
arrangements  for  the  future,"  I  began.  "Why  not 
commence  to-night,  if  you  feel  strong  enough  ?  " 

Still  she  made  no  answer,  and  I  offered  her  my 


The  Haven  where  I  would  be  363 

arm.  "  There  is  a  seat  close  by,"  I  said.  She 
went  with  me,  barely  touching  my  arm. 

"  Now,  My  Lady,  I  hope  I  have  not  offended 
you  in  any  way.  You  seemed  so  cold,  so  distant, 
just  now,  I  feared  I  had  done  or  said  something 
wrong." 

"  No,  never ! "  she  said  emphatically,  and 
stretched  out  her  hand  on  a  sudden  impulse.  I 
was  not  long  in  grasping  it. 

Her  touch  influenced  me  strongly,  and  served 
to  concentrate  all  my  ideas  into  one.  I  could  not 
wait ;  for  joy  or  sorrow,  I  must  learn  somewhat  of 
my  fate  to-night.  Holding  her  hand  so,  I  knelt 
beside  her. 

"  My  Lady,  you  heard  what  I  said  to  Burton 
last  night ;  you  know  what  my  feelings  have  been 
in  regard  to  you.  Even  during  the  later  and 
darker  months  of  my  detention  here,  I  loved  you, 
in  spite  of  myself.  I  loved  you  then ;  I  love  you 
now.  To  win  you  for  my  wife  would  make  me  the 
proudest  and  happiest  man  in  all  the  Colonies.  I 
know  how  you  have  been  taught  to  think  of  me 
these  many  months,  and  the  knowledge  of  how  far 
wrong  the  lesson  was  has  not  been  yours  long 
enough  to  let  you  care  greatly  for  me.  But,  Mar- 
jorie,  sweetheart,  is  there  not  a  chance  that  some 
day  you  may  learn  to  know  me  better,  and  be  will- 


364  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

ing  to  let  me  care  for  you  while  I  live  ?  I  can  be 
very  patient,  My  Lady,  if  I  have  something  to  hope 
for,  but  I  must  have  some  knowledge  of  what  my 
fate  is  likely  to  be.  Dearest,  may  I  have  this  hope  ? 
I  will  ask  for  nothing  more  until  you  are  willing." 

She  sat  very  still  and  silent  for  a  long  time,  and 
I  waited  as  patiently  as  might  be.  Once  or  twice 
I  heard  a  faint  catch  of  her  breath,  like  the  com- 
mencement of  a  little  sob.  The  longer  she  waited, 
the  lower  my  spirits  sank,  and  had  she  offered  to 
withdraw  her  hand  I  should  have  despaired. 

Presently  she  rose  from  her  seat,  still  leaving  me 
that  little  hold  on  life. 

"  Come  with  me,  if  you  will  be  so  kind,"  she 
said. 

"  But  will  you  not  give  me  some  little  hope  ? "  I 
begged. 

"Wait,  before  you  say  more,"  she  said  very 
gently.  "But  come  with  me  now." 

She  led  me  to  the  house  and  into  the  library 
where  we  had  sat  alone  last  night.  The  place  was 
dark,  but  both  of  us  knew  the  room  perfectly ;  she 
by  a  life's  experience,  I  through  my  nocturnal 
vigils  in  the  grove.  It  was  very  dark,  and  My 
Lady  pulled  the  bell-cord. 

"Bring  candles,"  she  said  to  the  servant  who 
answered  the  ring.  "  Light  these  that  are  here, 


The  Haven  where  I  would  be  365 

and  then  bring  all  that  are  in  the  parlor.  And 
send  Theodore  to  me  quickly  !  " 

I  knew  she  must  have  an  object  in  all  this, 
though  I  could  not  fathom  it,  and  waited  in 
silence.  The  servant  lit  the  candles  that  were 
already  there,  and  went  for  the  others.  Theodore 
came  to  the  open  door;  My  Lady  went  to  meet 
him,  and  there  was  a  whispered  conversation. 
Theodore  seemed  to  be  protesting  against  some- 
thing; My  Lady  grew  imperative,  and  he  finally 
succumbed. 

The  servant  brought  more  candles,  so  that  the 
room  was  flooded  with  light,  and  went  back  to  her 
own  place. 

"  Now,  Theodore !  "  My  Lady  called. 

He  entered  reluctantly.  My  Lady  had  not  once 
looked  at  me  since  we  entered.  She  stood  in  the 
middle  of  the  room  waiting  for  him,  but  as  he 
drew  near  her  she  turned  her  face  to  me.  What 
did  that  strange  expression  mean  ?  —  sacrifice,  re- 
pentance —  love  ?  I  hardly  dared  to  hazard  the 
last  guess.  Certainly  not  aversion !  Her  gaze 
fascinated  me. 

There  was  a  swift  motion  of  the  negro's  arm, 
and  a  livid  streak  sprang  in  sight  across  her  cheek 
—  the  cheek  that  I  had  been  suffered  to  kiss  that 
morning  when  I  rode  away  in  chase  of  Burton ! 


366  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

My  Lady  caught  her  breath  sharply  from  the 
pain. 

With  a  great  cry  of  rage,  I  leaped  fiercely  at 
the  man,  with  murder  in  my  heart,  which  was 
doubtless  pictured  on  my  face.  That  any  one 
should  dare  to  strike  her  —  and  he,  of  all  others  ! 
Cripple  though  he  was  since  his  accident,  I  could 
have  strangled  him  with  the  greatest  content. 

My  Lady  sprang  between  us ;  she  must  have 
expected  some  such  action  on  my  part. 

"  Stop  !  "  she  cried.     "  I  ordered  him !  " 

He  fell  back  in  affright  at  the  look  on  my  face, 
and  his  weapon  dropped  from  his  hand  and  rolled 
to  my  feet.  I  picked  it  up  mechanically.  I  knew 
it  well ;  I  had  seen  it  only  that  morning.  It  was 
a  small  green  riding-whip  with  a  silver  handle. 

"  Go,  Theodore !  "  said  My  Lady.  The  man 
glided  away,  stealing  a  curious  glance  at  us  both 
as  he  went,  and  softly  closed  the  door. 

My  Lady  sank  into  a  chair  and  hid  her  face. 
The  silence  grew  painful  before  I  found  my  voice. 

"  Why  did  you  do  this  ? "  I  demanded,  in  a  very 
unsteady  tone. 

"To  show  my  repentance  for  what  I  did  that 
day  —  to  make  reparation,"  she  whispered. 

"And  did  you  think  I  could  take  pleasure  in 
such  reparation?"  I  asked,  drawing  nearer. 


The  Haven  where  I  would  be  367 

"  I  do  not  know.  I  did  not  think  of  that.  I 
wanted  to  do  what  I  could." 

"  Must  there  always  be  the  question  of  rights 
and  reparation  between  us,  My  Lady  ?  " 

"  You  have  so  many  wrongs  to  forgive  !  " 

"  None  to  forgive  you ! "  I  said  passionately. 
"  But  even  if  it  were  so,  cannot  love  cancel  such 
a  score  as  that?  " 

She  would  not  answer.  I  drew  close  to  her  and 
put  an  arm  about  her,  and  she  did  not  shrink 
from  me. 

"  If  you  are  bent  on  making  reparation  for 
fancied  wrongs,  there  is  one  way  you  could  take 
that  would  leave  me  hugely  in  your  debt.  But 
I  would  not  take  it  as  reparation,  My  Lady;  I 
ask  it  as  a  gift,  to  be  given  without  any  obligation 
whatever,  except  what  is  implied  by  the  giving.  I 
ask  to  be  your  debtor  to  that  extent." 

She  raised  her  tear-stained  face  and  looked  at 
me,  laying  a  hand  on  my  shoulder. 

"  Pray  do  not  call  me  '  My  Lady,'  "  she  said. 

"  Why  not  ?  It  has  become  a  habit  that  would 
be  hard  to  break;  it  was  so  long  before  I  knew 
your  name." 

"  That  is  just  the  reason,"  she  said.  "  It  is  a 
reminder  of  those  wretched  months  when  —  " 

"  Not  a  word  more  about  that !  "  I  interrupted. 


368  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"  If  you  wish  it,  I  will  call  you  Marjorie.  But 
there  is  still  another  name  that  I  would  use." 

She  gave  me  a  strange  look,  and  then  turned 
her  eyes  away  and  gazed  straight  before  her,  as 
though  not  to  see  my  face.  Her  hand  dropped 
from  my  shoulder. 

"  Long  ago  I  gave  my  heart  to  a  man  who,  it 
was  shown  to  me,  was  unworthy  of  it.  I  love 
him." 

So  quietly  said ! 

It  was  no  wonder  she  avoided  looking  at  my 
stunned  face  while  she  spoke  my  sentence  of 
death,  or  worse  than  death.  Why  had  I  strug- 
gled to  defeat  Burton's  treacherous  ambushes  ? 
Why  had  she  rescued  me  twice  from  his  grasp  ? 
If  she  had  only  let  me  sink  in  the  quicksand,  or 
burn  in  the  cabin !  Surely  the  tender  mercies  of 
the  —  No,  she  was  not  wicked ;  her  cruelty  was 
done  in  ignorance !  But  it  was  none  the  less  hard 
to  bear  for  that. 

Slowly,  feeling  like  a  man  suddenly  stricken 
with  years,  I  withdrew  my  arm  and  stood  up. 
I  had  no  right  to  touch  her.  There  was  a  ring- 
ing in  my  ears,  and  my  voice  sounded  like  the 
voice  of  another  man  far  away.  I  saw  a  vision 
of  long  years  of  loveless  loneliness  and  hopeless 
longing  before  me. 


The  Haven  where  I  would  be  369 

"  You  love  him  still  ?  " 

"Yes." 

I  turned  my  face  away,  lest  she  should  look  up 
and  see  it,  and  be  hurt  thereby. 

"  Does  he  know  it  ?  " 

"  Not  yet,  I  think  !  "  Her  voice  was  very  soft, 
with  a  note  of  tenderness  that  hurt  me  sorely. 

"  Is  he  worthy,  now  ? "  My  own  voice  was  harsh ; 
I  had  to  make  it  so  to  hide  the  pain  that  clutched 
at  my  heart  and  made  me  weak  and  sick. 

"  Most  worthy  !  "  very  softly. 

It  was  hard,  very  hard,  to  do ;  yet  every  day  of 
my  life  I  have  given  thanks  that  I  found  strength 
and  courage  to  say  it. 

"  You  are  my  cousin.  For  that  —  and  because 
I  love  you,  and  would  see  you  happy  — "  how 
the  words  choked  me  !  —  "is  there  anything  I 
can  do  for  you  —  or  for  him  ?  " 

Very  quietly  her  answer  came. 

"  I  do  not  expect  ever  to  see  him  again." 

So  I  was  not  alone  in  my  wretchedness.  Pray 
God  hers  was  not  as  mine ! 

"  I  am  sorry,"  I  said ;  but  I  could  not  look  at 
her  yet. 

I  felt  her  come  to  my  side.  Her  arm  went 
about  my  neck,  and  the  bruised  cheek  was  pressed 
against  mine. 

2B 


370  My  Lady  and  Allan  Darke 

"He  was  a  prisoner,  then,  now  he  is  free.  I 
shall  not  see  him,  because  he  wore  a  beard,  then, 
—  but  not  now !  " 

Then  I  understood.  What  was  the  vision  of 
the  coming  years  I  had  seen  ?  I  lost  all  remem- 
brance of  it  when  I  entered  Paradise. 

It  was  a  long  while  before  I  ventured  to  ask  a 
question  that  had  vexed  me  for  months. 

"  Marjorie !  " 

"Yes,  dear?" 

"  Sweetheart,  that  day  on  the  dune  —  why  were 
you  so  angered  at  me  ?  " 

"  I  was  not !  "     She  spoke  indignantly. 

"  Then  why  did  you  —  '  I  got  no  farther, 
but  I  was  not  likely  to  resent  being  interrupted 
in  that  way! 

"  My  father  had  told  me  that  you  were  an 
enemy;  he  said  that  the  story  you  told  proved 
you  a  liar  and  a  coward,  whom  I  must  distrust 
and  despise." 

"  It  was  a  natural  enough  mistake  on  his  part. 
Thank  God  he  knew  the  truth  before  he  died.  .  .  . 
But  I  only  tried  to  save  you  when  the  sand 
crumbled.  Could  you  not  have  forgiven  my 
rudeness  on  that  account  ? " 

She  laughed  nervously,  and  evaded  the  question. 


The  Haven  where  I  would  be  371 

"  It  was  the  only  time  I  ever  questioned  his 
judgment.  In  spite  of  my  trust  in  him  and  his 
positive  assertion,  I  could  not  believe  him.  I 
knew  there  was  some  mistake." 

"  Even  then  ?  If  I  had  only  known.  .  .  .  But 
that  does  not  account  —  " 

"You  put  your  arm  around  me  that  day," 
she  went  on  hurriedly,  as  though  to  prevent  any 
more  questioning. 

"  Like  this.     Well  ?  " 

"  It  is  hard  to  explain.  ...  It  was  not  you, 
nor  what  you  did.  ...  It  was  only  that  —  you 
suffered  because  —  I  was  angry  at  myself  — 
because  I  could  not  be  angry  at  you !  " 

It  was  a  somewhat  complicated  statement,  but 
I  thought  I  knew  what  she  meant. 

"  Then  you  were  not  angry,  as  I  had  thought, 
because  I  put  my  arm  around  you  ? "  I  asked 
slyly. 

My  dear  Lady  drooped  her  head  and  pressed 
her  face  close  against  my  coat.  She  would  not 
meet  my  eyes,  but  she  answered  my  question  in  a 
very  smothered  voice. 

"Oh,    Allan!     Angry?     No.  .  .  ."     She   sum- 
moned up  her  courage  with  a  rush.     "  Why,  that 
was   just  what   was   the   matter   with   me !     I  - 
I  liked  it!" 


HUGH  GWYETH, 

A  ROUNDHEAD  CAVALIER. 

BY 
BEULAH   MARIE   DIX. 

i2mo.       Cloth.      $1.50. 

WITH  A  STRIKING  COVER  DESIGN. 


A  story  of  the  time  of  Prince  Rupert,  that  dashing  cavalry 
leader,  the  Prince  in  fact  appearing  on  the  scene.  The  young 
hero,  having  been  bred  in  the  puritanical  household  of  an 
uncle,  orphaned,  lonesome,  and  forlorn,  steals  away  under 
cover  of  the  night  to  join  a  cavalier  school-fellow  who  has 
already  taken  arms  in  defence  of  his  king.  A  stranger  in  the 
royal  ranks,  Hugh  is  compelled  to  engage  in  menial  duties 
about  the  camp,  while  perceiving  that  he  is  recognized  and 
repudiated  by  his  father,  whom  he  has  hitherto  believed  to  be 
dead.  At  last,  in  the  fortunes  of  war,  Hugh  is  able  to  defend 
his  sire.  Reconciliation  follows,  and  also  advancement  in  the 
service.  A  love  episode,  in  which  a  jolly  Roundhead  girl- 
cousin  figures,  closes  the  tale. 


THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY, 

66  FIFTH  AVENUE,   NEW  YORK. 


THE  PRIDE  OF  JENNICO. 


BY 


EGERTON   CASTLE. 


ELEVENTH    EDITION. 


i2mo.       Cloth.       $1.50. 


"  Picturesque  in  literary  style,  rich  in  local  color,  rising 
at  times  almost  to  tragic  intentness,  and  bristling  through- 
out with  dramatic  interest."  —  The  Record,  Philadelphia. 

"Hardly  since  the  memorable  success  of  'The  Prisoner 
of  Zenda'  has  there  been  published  such  a  stirring, 
brilliant,  and  dashing  story."  —  The  Outlook. 


THE   MACMILLAN    COMPANY, 

66  FIFTH  AVENUE,   HEW  YORK. 


A     000117928     2 


